Planes see thousands of passengers pass through them each day which means it can be quite hard for airline staff to keep on top of cleaning in-between flights. However, it has also been revealed that various drinks and food items may have a serious health risk associated with them due to the irregular cleaning of aeroplanes.
Jay Robert, flight attendant confirmed this to be true and gave some important advice for passengers.
He said: “I have even spoken to other crew who have become very sick after drinking hot beverages from an aircraft.
“But it’s not just about the aircraft’s tanks or pipes.
“The flight you are on from London or Los Angeles might just have returned from an underdeveloped country that wouldn’t have the same high sanitation levels as the country you are in now.”
It is also recommended to carry hand sanitiser and to use it after visiting the bathroom onboard as that water also comes from the same tank and poses potential health risks.
Travellers may also be shocked to learn that the food onboard might not be the best for you either.
Airline food safety expert Jean Dible explained that although on-board meals are held to strict safety standards the risk of bacteria can be bigger while flying due to the delay from when the food is prepared to when it is served.
She said: “In the restaurant industry, food is cooked and served without delay. In the aviation industry, food is prepared at a catering company and then packed in insulated containers and trucked to airports to be put aboard the aircraft.”
She explained how fruits that sometimes come with the breakfasts onboard could have been chopped hours ago and are now warm and soggy.
However, when passengers receive them, they tend to be cold and crisp which is down to the preservatives that are added to keep them fresh, which makes them unhealthy.
Jean explained that food can be held at the incorrect temperatures and for food items including dairy this is crucial and could make a passenger very sick.
Therefore, it is always advised to buy food and drink at the terminal before boarding or reaching until your destination.
