The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has commenced a close inspection of the food production units to some of the major flights across India, following a passenger’s complaint about finding a worm in her sandwich went viral. Despite the airline’s response to the complainant mentioned a detailed internal review to check the process and packaging of their in-flight meals, the uproar following the incident led to the food regulator issuing a show-cause notice to Indigo.
The notice demanded an explanation regarding the food served on the flight from Delhi to Mumbai a couple of weeks ago, and also asked the airline a reason justifying why their license shouldn’t be suspended. The mass lashing on social media raised doubts about the level of hygiene involved in the preparation of the food served to passengers despite an official statement from the airline apologising for the mishap profusely.
Image Credits: Live And Let's Fly
Following a review of the caterer’s cleanliness measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, Indigo also promised to comply by the standards set to ensure safety. The supplying kitchens in question focussed on three big service providers – Oberoi Flight Services, Taj SATS – operators of the largest number of flight kitchens in India, and Amabassador’s Sky Chef. A surprise check conducted by the FSSAI on Oberoi Flight Services’ kitchens resulted in a 94% score across various parameters following the inspection.
Also Read:
This was followed by a few suggestions to further improve the quality of hygiene, which the provider claims to have implemented with immediate effect. While there has been no specific response from the other two catering kitchens, Indigo has also issued an official apology to the passenger who shared her distress.