Singapore Airlines Inflight Meal Preparation

Overview

• Every omelet served on Singapore Airlines economy class is made on a rotating table.
• Produces 6,000 to 7,000 omelets daily.
• Chefs prepare meals for nearly 20 million passengers a year.
• Facility operates 24/7, producing meals nonstop.

Key Personnel

• Anthony: Oversees entire catering operation with a $500 million annual food budget.
• Responsible for 168,000 lobster tails/month and over 1 million pounds of rice/year.

Challenges

• Flavors can change due to in-flight conditions.
• Catering facilities face logistical challenges to prepare 50,000 meals a day.

SATS Catering Facility

• Located at Changi Airport, run by SATS.
• Singapore Airlines is the largest customer among 45 carriers.

Menu Development

• Hundreds of new menus developed annually.
• Takes 9-12 months to create one dish.
• Menus vary by flight origin and include different cuisines: Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean, Western.

Meal Differences by Class

• First Class Suites: Offers caviar, lobster, beef tenderloin.
• Premium Economy: Limited choices, e.g., Nasi Kandar.
• Meals include protein, vegetable, starch, and sauce.

Food Preparation Process

• Workers suit up, wash hands, and use air showers to prevent contamination.
• Stations Include:
  • Salad, dessert, hot kitchen, premium kitchen.
• Meals are cooked 30-40% on the ground; flight attendants finish cooking in the air.

Cooking Details

• Meat, vegetables, pasta, rice, and hot meals cooked in bulk.
• Foods are partially cooked to avoid being overcooked in-flight.
• Tracked with labels for food safety.
• Blast chillers used to stop cooking process.

Challenges with In-flight Taste

• Taste buds are 30% less sensitive on planes.
• Older planes pressurized up to 8,000 ft; newer planes, up to 6,000 ft.
• Humidity in new planes around 24% to improve taste perception.
• Use of turmeric and ginger to reduce bloating and improve comfort.

Reheating and Meal Assembly

• Avoid dishes that don’t travel well (e.g., deep-fried foods).
• Assembled in casserole assembly room and placed in foil trays.
• Photos guide chefs and flight attendants for meal presentation.
• Trays are packed in carts, labeled for destination and meal type.

Time Constraints

• Entire process from cooking, assembling to serving must be within 72 hours.
• Exceeding the limit by an hour breaches food safety standards.
• Meals are loaded onto flights usually within an hour before takeoff.

Conclusion

• Speed and precision are crucial due to flight schedules.
• Meals must adhere to strict food safety and taste standards.