Time and Temperature: Impetus of Food Poisoning Prevention in In-flight Catering

Airline catering prepares in-flight meal which is served to passengers on board a commercial airline. The food, ranging from a simple beverage and chips in short haul flight economy class to a seven to nine-course gourmet meal in long-haul business and first class, requires utmost microbiological safety. Given the limitation of facilities in an aircraft, prevention of food poisoning outbreak is the main goal of any airline catering services.

I was fortunate to work as Quality Manager in Gate Gourmet Philippines, one of the branches of largest airline catering business in the world.  How did we achieve to have a zero food poisoning outbreak? We achieved it through the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) which is defined as a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product (www.fda.gov).  Microbiological control was achieved through a food safety plan based on HACCP focusing on time-and temperature was being implemented. The HACCP Plan had 6 critical control points for potentially hazardous foods which were based on the temperature and time requirement of commonly isolated microbiological food pathogens like Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio spp. and E. coli.  Truly, understanding the environment necessary for microbial growth helped us achieved our objective of serving safe food.

The six critical control points (CCP) based on time and temperature are as follows:

1.      CCP 1. Control of Food Temperature at Receiving (Frozen items --- rock frozen and no sign of thawing, chilled items --- maximum of 5⁰C)

CCP 1

2.      CCP 2. Control of Food Storage During Storage (Freezer --- -18⁰C, chiller --- maximum of 5⁰C, all food items should have a labeled shelf life)

CCP 2

3.      CCP 3. Control of Food Cooking (poultry, pork, ground meat, stews, sauces --- 74⁰C minimum; fish --- 71⁰C minimum)

CCP 3

4.      CCP 4. Control of Food Chilling (less than 5⁰C within 4 hours, maximum of 48 hours in storage)



CCP 4

5.      Control of Food Temperature/Time During Portioning (maximum of 8⁰C within 40 minutes)

CCP 5

6.      CCP 6. Control of Food Temperature at Dispatch (maximum of 5⁰C)



CCP 6



To safeguard the food from physical and chemical contaminants, standard operating procedures were in placed such as the following:

l  Personal Hygiene Procedures

l  Cleaning and Disinfection Procedure

l  Physical and Chemical Hazard Control Procedure

l  Food Safety Training Procedure

l  Calibration Procedure

l  Microbiological Analyses Procedure

l  Facility Requirements Complaint Procedure

In general, there is likely hood of spoilage or microbial food poisoning outbreak at any temperature between 5 to 60 ⁰C. This range is commonly known as Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ). Since microorganisms differ so widely in their minimal, optimal and maximal temperatures for growth, it is obvious that the temperature at which a food is held will have a great influence on the kind, rate and the amount of microbiologically induce change that will take place. However, food poisoning prevention should note solely rely on time and temperature control. Food poisoning prevention can be realized through a gamut of system on based on sound principles of proper personal hygiene, prevention of cross contamination and of course, time-temperature. These environmental factors are the control tools in preventing food poisoning

So, the next time you fly on a commercial airline, rest assured that the food being served is with extreme quality and safety!