Switching from mystery meat to salads

If airline passengers were to believe some of the menus placed before them, they would look forward to a fine gastronomic experience on almost every flight. Vegetables, it seems, are not mixed, but assembled in a medley. The organic lamb, we are led to believe, started life on a picturesque hillside and the seafood curry comes from a recipe known only to Hyderabadi fisherfolk. Gravy, of course, does not exist; meat is caressed with a jus.

However, the reality — especially in the cheap seats — can be rather different. Frequently, the green beans are unrecognizable, and the beef stew defies description. All too often, the only items that seem appetizing are the bread roll and cheese biscuits.

It is all a far cry from the good old days of flying, when male passengers wore ties and meals were served course by course on proper crockery and eaten with metal cutlery.

Indeed, many question the point of providing airline meals at all, especially on shorter flights. So what is the point of in-flight meals? Do they have a future? And perhaps more importantly, are they good for your health?

“ Airlines do seem to be trying,” says Sara Stanner, senior scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. “ The food is not as bad as it used to be. People like to have the meals, because the food breaks the monotony of the journey.” Others point out that for businessmen and women who have an important meeting at their destination, the sustenance is imperative. When Stanner flies, what horrifies her most is the sight of a white roll. “I want wholegrain food, which is rather more sustaining,’’ she says. “ And I really do not want to see vegetables pulped — that removes any nutrient value. Sometimes, you can be lucky and get a nice fruit salad, which is healthy and hydrating.’’

Rebecca Foster, another scientist at the foundation, praises airlines for serving small portions of a variety of dishes, rather than one plate piled high. However, she’s concerned about the way the meals are cooked: “ The food, which has been heated to very high temperatures, has been precooked, which can have an impact on water- soluble vitamins.

“For most people, an airline meal is only one of dozens they will eat in a month, but, for a frequent flyer, the food forms a more significant proportion of their diet.’’

Despite being constrained by what can be crammed on to a plastic tray, carriers are attempting to improve the standard of their catering. Meals have become lighter and more varied, with exotic curries replacing beef stew. But what do passengers really want? Scandinavian Airlines, which is based in Copenhagen, ran a series of workshops to find out. According to Rasmus Andersen, the company’s food and beverage manager, men and women had very different tastes: the men chose steaks and gravy, while the women preferred lighter fare, such as sandwiches.

“For the future, we are talking about a lot of salads,’’ says Andersen. “ And people want their sandwiches without mayonnaise.’’

He believes that airlines will eventually separate salads from dressings, and meat from their sauces — leaving passengers to decide just how healthy they want to be.

But getting a meal on to a plane is “very pricey,” he adds. “ There are very strict hygiene rules.’’

The more a passenger pays for a ticket, the better — and healthier — the food. SAS uses different butchers to supply meat for its economy and business class.

Premium passengers can not only expect food to be presented in a more attractive manner, but also that most of the preparation will have taken place on board rather than in a vast factory on the perimeter of an airport.

However, the real cost of a meal is shrouded in mystery. Malcolm Ginsberg, editor of Air and Business Travel News, estimates that an economy-class dinner costs about $ 25 to produce.

And perhaps because of this, many airlines are following the example of the low-cost carriers, and banishing in-flight meals. “ The fact is, airline food was always a joke,’’ says Toby Nicol, easyJet’s director of corporate affairs. “Nobody valued it, so why serve it?’’