Air passengers urged not to take food on flights

Airline passengers are being urged not to take their own food on flights.

New Department for Transport guidance states that “food or powders should be packed into hold baggage where possible”. Many passengers take their own food when they fly to avoid paying the premiums charged by airport retailers or airlines.

British Airways is among the carriers that have recently stopped offering complimentary refreshments to economy passengers in a bid to compete with low-cost airlines.

The DFT says storing food in hand luggage can “obstruct images on the X-ray machine or may be mistaken for suspicious items”, leading to additional checks.

Passengers will not be stopped from travelling with food, but those that do should “allow extra time at security”.