Kosher Airline Food: a Logistical Challenge Orit Malka Harborside Hyatt Conference Center and Hotel, [email protected]

Hospitality Review Volume 21 Article 7 Issue 1 Hospitality Review Volume 21/Issue 1 January 2003 Kosher Airline Food: A Logistical Challenge Orit Malka Harborside Hyatt Conference Center and Hotel, [email protected] Audrey C. McCool University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview Part of the Food and Beverage Management Commons Recommended Citation Malka, Orit and McCool, Audrey C. (2003) "Kosher Airline Food: A Logistical Challenge," Hospitality Review: Vol. 21 : Iss. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol21/iss1/7 This work is brought to you for free and open access by FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hospitality Review by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kosher Airline Food: A Logistical Challenge Abstract Providing meals to passengers on aircrafts er quires a complex logistical system if it is to be done sucessfully. Variations to that system are required if special meals, such as kosher ones, are to be provided since it entails unique system challenges. The uthora s discuss service requirements, the challenges they pose to the inflight meal service logistical system, and some of the ways in which these challenges are met. Keywords Service Learning, Growth and Developments, Air Crafts, hC allenges, Food Science This article is available in Hospitality Review: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol21/iss1/7 Kosher airline food: A logistical challenge by Orit Malka and Audrey C. McCool Providing meals to passengers on aircraff Because of these requirements, requires a aomplex logisf~calsystemff it is fo the incoIporation of unusual me,lu be done sua2essfully Variations to that system are reouired if s~ecialmeals, such items, such as a> kosher ones, are lo be prowded snce it the complex logistical system entails unique system challenges. The required to support inflight food authors discuss SeMce requirements, the they pose to the ,,,flight service has sipnificant logistical servjce iogrshcal system, and some of the and cost implications. These impli- ways in &ch these challenges are met. cations are significant as the incor- poration of meals such as kosher ones requires deviation from the nflight food service for passen- assembly line based mass produc- gers is unique in many ways tion system that is the basis of cost Iand requires a more complex effective production and delivery of logistical support system than food and beverages for inflight food most other food services. The services'. separation of the food preparation from the product consumption Kosher demand grows both in tcrms of time and location While kosher foods have always means that careful monitoring of been in demand by persons who food holding and transfer proce- have chosen to observe Jewish reli- dures is required. Also, the selec- gious dietary laws, in recent years tion of food products for these these foods, produced under strict meals requires close attention to processing and preparation stan- ensure that the products are able dards, have gained increased popu- to withstand the holding and larity with non-Jewish consumers. transport procedures, yet be safe Persons who arc vegetarians, and of high quality when served to lactose intolerant, or simply health airline passengers'. conscious may perceive kosher food -- - Mulku and McCool 67 Contents © 2003 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. products to be purer or safer than ered to the caterer for use in other foods because of the strict preparing meals or snacks for the standards under which they are airline or by using products which produced. the infight kitchen itself purchases Indeed, consumer demand for from national or local suppliers5. In kosher products has grown in all cases, regardless of the recent years and is expected to purchasing process, all supplies continue growing. Kosher food received by the inflight kitchen must products experienced a 13 percent meet the U.S. Food and Drug growth in sales from 1997 to 1998, Administration (FDA) and the while overall sales in the food Hazard Analysis of Critical Control industry grew by only 4.2 percent3. Point (HACCP) specified minimum Information from Kashrus agen- hygiene conditions, temperatures, cies, agencies that certify foods as quality, weight, and grade6. Once meeting kosher standards, and accepted, delivered supplies must be other kosher experts indicate that stored in space allocated specifically 2,500 new kosher products were to each airline. This space allocation introduced into the market in 1999 is required in all types of storage, alone. Additionally, kosher meals refrigerated, frozen, and dry stores'. and food items are being introduced Because of the time difference into the gourmet, natural foods, between product production in the and health specialty markets4. inflight kitchen and the consump- This growth in consumer tion of the food products in the air, demand for kosher products is cook-chill or cook-freeze methodolo- likely to be reflected in a corre- gies have been adopted and must be sponding growth in the demand for monitored carefully to prevent kosher meals on board aircraft, excess exposure of cooked items to particularly on international flights temperatures where food-borne since there is more full meal service pathogens can survive and grow, on these extended flights in potentially causing food-borne comparison to the current trend for illnessx. Once prepared, the hot only snack service on shorter foods for traditional meals are domestic flights. portioned onto individual plates or casseroles, chilled, and rethermal- Meals require efficiency ized on board the aircraR prior to Each airline specifies precisely service to the passengers. Cold food what will be boarded on their flights items, along with eating utensils for all types of food and beverage and condiments, are placed on the services; inflight caterers must meet meal service trays and stored under those specifications precisely. This refrigeration until meal or snack requirement can be achieved either service is initiated on board the by using products which the airline aircraft. The number of meals purchases directly from product boarded on a flight can be adjusted manufacturers and which are deliv- as passenger counts change up until 68 FIU Hospitality Reuiew /Spring 2003 Contents © 2003 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. the last passenger s seated aboard venfytemperature, and they cansee the aircraft. During onboard meal and check the cold food items that service, the heated hot food have been pre-set on the traysq. containers are placed onto the pre- Flgure 1 illustrates the logistical set trays and then served to passen- flow of products for the preparation gers. Flight attendants can check and service of conventional meals on the hot foods as they are heating to board aircraft. Figure 1 Logistical system for producing and serving conventional meals on board aircraft 1 A r. n2r an0 of 'alclers prepare soec 1 cal.Ins 10 r 1 nc slano~ros 1 A ?no 0 0 lor or51pr rt 321 .e c I e OIIP~ marrel through distributors specializing inflight foodservics industr, I 1 Check tor product qualliyand quantity in accord with HACCP standards, airltnelcaterer product specifications, and purchase order quantities -v Items stored in accord wlth caterer's storage policies with emphasis on i"flght Kitchen keeping each airl~nesproducts separated. as appropriate for the product i ! Responsabil'ty FILJ.CI pleparalon oonc n caw nr nlrrlrn 1112~I lrgc a.a>l I~S n accoro ..I in a r ne rrr pzs s~e'lcstuns Products packagediplatedlsetup on trays in catering kitcllen utilizing assembly Ine procedures ! ~ ~ . ! Air- . r I Prepared rnealsnrays stored under refriperation in standardized boarding 1 equpment lor a mlnimum of 4 hours pnor to being boarded ontoaircmli Airline Meals rethermalized in convection ovens or served cold to passeigers Responsability I as appropriate. Flightattendanls unwraplopen ellllees asthey are served ,, Responsabilibj rqquiprnentis washed and reused Mulka and McCool 69 -- - Contents © 2003 by FIU Hospitality Review. The reproduction of any artwork, editorial or other material is expresslv prohibited without written permission from the publisher, excepting thatone-time educational reproduction is allowed without express permission. Kosher meals are categorized passenger who ordered a kosher as "special meals" by the meal for one flight may actually airlines. Thus they have to be be on a different flight. Unless ordered 24 hours ahead of the great care is taken with special scheduled flight departure time. meal communications and the Even though the inflight kitchen inflight caterer has a sufficient may have a meal count for stock of tempered (or partially kosher meals for a flight 24 thawed) kosher meals acceptable hours ahead of the scheduled to the airline on hand and avail- flight time, they still have to able to be boarded onto a flight estimate the number of frozen at the last minute, it is

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