The flight kitchen is like a military regiment, that rolls with rules and regulations. The stringency starts from maintaining a sterile atmosphere and thrives on functional modalities, technicalities and logistics. Precision, hygiene and sanitation play a predominant and all-encopassing role in delivering the prepared meals. Clean India Journal takes a peek.
AIR CATERES are striving to go that extra mile to move the bar up in terms of giving quality food. And yet, the variables are too many to handle. Flight food gets cooked, assembled, chilled, transported, reheated and regenerated, and hence are subjected to high altitude, pressure and less humidity requiring complete hygiene programme right from the start of the preparation.
Quality is at the heart of this service that is achieved by keeping the food hygienic, clean and free from disease causing bacteria. Speaking to Clean India Journal, VB Rajan, Chief Operating Officer, Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services (CAFS), Cochin, said, “All food contact surfaces are non-corrosive and non-toxic. All equipment in the manufacturing system are designed in a manner that facilitates easy cleaning and disinfecting. The related records are mandatorily kept. Only safe cleaning compounds and sanitizing agents are used in the company, stored separately under control and issued properly to avoid contamination of food with toxic chemicals. Effective measures are taken to exclude pests, insects and vermin from the process areas. A proper cleaning schedule is followed as detailed in the SOP.”
Raw materials are sourced locally and stored in separate cold storages for cut, cleaned and cooked stuff maintained at ambient temperatures. Work areas are segregated with colour coded bins and cutlery in order to avoid cross- contamination. Separate spec sheets indicate the amount of ingredients to be used and the order of assembling… Here below is an account of how things work in the flight kitchen of CAFS in keeping with the hygiene standards for a contamination free preparation and delivery.
Cleaning Containment in Preparation Kitchen.
The major source of contamination arises from waste generated at the time of preparation. The solid waste generated in various processing areas and from offloading is collected in big foot operated waste bins lined with polythene cover. Once the bin is full, the garbage is transferred to a store maintained at 5oC or below. The waste is collected and disposed off from the store by an external agency three times daily. Garbage disposal record is maintained. The liquid waste generated in the processing is treated in a effluent treatment plant where the water is recycled for use in house gardening.
[box type=”shadow” ]“While all procedures are in place, it is only through constant monitoring, regular training and auditing hygienic food processing, preparation and delivery is possible.”[/box]
Waste Management System
Environmental standards are strictly followed in packing materials and food additives. A waste management system is adopted to segregate and dispose off the kitchen waste. Says A R Shine, Director, Envac Environmental Technology (P) Ltd, “The state of the art facility at Oberoi Flight Catering, T3, New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport is the most modern flight catering facility in India installed with an Envac Automated waste system. It collects waste from ware wash, dish wash and food preparation areas as well. The system is fully equipped with trash chute in benches, trash chutes located in the food prep areas, customs bonded warehouse and the conveyor systems receiving the food trays from the aircraft.”
A microbiology wing oversees the in flight prep kitchens. Samples of cooked and served meals are regularly collected and tested for quality and consistency. HACCP monitors and certifies the quality and safety regulations in the kitchens. Food safety regulations insist that wastages in preparations be destroyed and discarded.
Cleaning Schedule
Prevent Cross Contamination
Prevention of cross-contamination includes insanitary objects to food, food packaging material, and other food contact surfaces, including utensils, gloves, and outer garments; and from raw product to cooked product.
“The entire layout of CAFS is unidirectional and ensures complete isolation of finished product from raw materials. The facility is designed for ease in cleaning, sanitation, and traffic control.“Plant grounds are in a condition that protects against contamination of food. Waste is collected in blue colour waste bins lined with black colour polythene cover and is removed from processing areas at definite intervals. Raw-product processing and cooked-product processing areas are separated. Drip or condensate does not contaminate food or packaging materials. Safety-type light fixtures are used in processing and packaging areas. Coolers, including the evaporators, are cleaned periodically. Nonfoodcontact surfaces in processing and packaging areas are cleaned daily at the end of the shift. Raw and cooked products are physically separated in coolers. Packaging materials are protected from contamination during storage.”Cleaning equipment are dedicated for each area. Production staff are given basic food sanitation training. Workers wear clean uniform, caps, mask and do not wear jewelry or other objects that might fall into the product, equipment, or containers. Workers wear disposable gloves and replace them as needed; wash their hands and gloves thoroughly and sanitize them before starting work or after each absence from their workstation; and anytime they have become soiled or contaminated clothing and personal belongings are not stored in production areas. Workers are not allowed to eat food, chew gum, drink beverages, or use tobacco in production areas. Hand cleaning and sanitizing stations are provided in each and every section.
Prevention of Microbial Contamination
“Work tables, and sinks for the preparation and handling of raw foods of animal origin are not used for preparation or handling of raw foods of vegetable origin or ready-to-eat foods, unless a documented procedure of cleaning and disinfection of machine after preparing raw foods is in place and vice-versa.
“Knives and other handling utensils are cleaned and or disinfected after each handling job. separate colour coded chopping boar
ds / knives are used for cooked / under cooked / raw foods. Similarly separate colour coded chopping boards / knives are used for veg. and non-veg. items.”
Food handling equipment are cleaned and disinfected after each use and thereafter re-used or stored clean and dry as described in SOP (CAFSFSPR- 02, SSOP-2).
Outer packaging material like cartons, plastic bags, gunny bags etc. are decanted/removed in foodhandling area.
Prevention of Chemical Contamination
Unapproved chemicals are used in non-processing areas. Sanitation supervisor initiates correction of any potentially contaminating condition. Repairs are made as needed.
Pest Control
The pest control chemicals are brought into the unit in sealed containers, cross checked with the approved pesticide list (APL) by the quality assurance representative and stored in the cupboard located outside the main building under lock and key.
As and when the fumigation is to be carried out, the required chemical is taken out and diluted as per the directions mentioned in the contract by the technician. These diluted chemicals are poured in spray pumps and these pumps are carried inside the unit.
There is a set schedule for spraying in the emptied food processing/handling area, drain holes inside and out the unit and fogging in external area.
Cleaning Raw material
“We use Ecolab cleaning solution for airline dish washing and Diversey chemicals for cleaning of food contact surfaces/ kitchen pot washing raw material. For sanitizing, we resort to steam and sodium hypochlorite solution.
While all procedures are in place, it is only through constant monitoring, regular training and auditing that hygienic food processing, preparation and delivery are possible.
Inputs from Vijayalakshmi Sridhar