The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on June 20 instructed Tata Group’s TajSATS, a flight catering company, to install an X-ray machine to detect metal pieces.
The decision comes after a metal blade was found in a meal on one of its Air India flights from Bengaluru to San Francisco. FSSAI also conducted an inspection at TajSATS Bengaluru on June 20, from where the food item was supplied.
FSSAI also instructed TajSATS to install an X-ray machine to detect metal pieces in food items and to manually chop vegetables until the system is implemented.
"An inspection has been carried out by the Airport Health Officer (APHO) at TajSATS Bengaluru, Kempegowda International Airport, from where the food item was supplied.
TajSATS Bengaluru comes under the jurisdiction of APHO (Bengaluru), which has issued it the licence.
"The blade found in the food item was from one of the automatic vegetable cutters, which accidentally got displaced and got stuck inside the vegetable piece," said a statement from FSSAI.
Also, read: Metal blade found in meal on Air India flight; airline working to prevent a recurrence
"Following a detailed inspection, corrective measures have been implemented and an improvement notice has been served to prevent similar incidents in the future," it said.
"Among other measures, an X-ray machine would have to be installed to detect metal pieces in food items at the facility where food items are packed in metallic foil or in packaging material having any metallic component. It has been instructed that manual chopping of vegetables would have to be carried out till the time this system is implemented," it added.
"Air India confirms that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard one of our flights. After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner,” Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Air India, said.
Dogra said that the airline is working with its catering partners to “strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor, especially after chopping any hard vegetables," he added.
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