'Veg food- Hindu, non veg- Muslim': Woman slams Vistara's meal codes, ex-Jet Airways CEO explains why

A standard meal on a Vistara flight. (Image: AirVistara/Facebook)

Journalist Aarti Tikoo Singh, in a recent post on X, questioned Vistara Airlines’ categorisation of in-flight meals, labelling vegetarian options as “Hindu meals” and non-vegetarian, particularly chicken, as “Muslim meals” and questioned whether the airline was "communalising" food.

The tweet quickly went viral, igniting a debate over religious sensitivities but what came to the fore was just standardised airline meal codes used worldwide to avoid confusion regarding dietary preferences of passengers.

In her tweet, Singh expressed her shock and dismay at the meal labels, questioning the logic behind equating food with religious identities. "Who told you that all Hindus are vegetarian and all Muslims are non-vegetarian? Why are you thrusting food choices on people? Are you now going to communalise vegetables, chicken and passengers on a flight too?" she asked, tagging the airline and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

She said she booked both the meals on her Srinagar to Jammu flight to "defy" the order and shared a photo of her booking.

The controversy prompted a response from Sanjiv Kapoor, former CEO of Jet Airways and an aviation industry veteran, who clarified that the labels Singh referred to are part of a set of standard international meal codes used globally by airlines.

"These are standard international meal codes used globally across GDS-based airlines, not just by Vistara. However, I do think IATA or whoever needs to update/modernize these outdated and at times somewhat puzzling meal codes," Kapoor tweeted.

These are standard international meal codes used globally across GDS-based airlines, not just by Vistara. However I do think IATA or whoever needs to update / modernize these outdated and at times somewhat puzzling meal codes. https://t.co/QLO9BlutZB
Sanjiv Kapoor (@TheSanjivKapoor) August 27, 2024

"Meal codes are pretty standard & are defined by IATA," one user stated.

“This is just not done, not at all. People from both and all other religions except for Jains and Buddhists have varied preferences and labelling food as either a Hindu meal or a Muslim meal is pathetic. What is wrong in the universally used tags, veg and non-veg?” a second user asked.

A third clarified the use of codes. “Because chicken meal that you eat is made with halal certified meat. That's why writing it as Muslim meal gives the indication that halal products are used,” they wrote.

Madam its always good to check first !FYI in general aviation parlance, a Hindu Meal (HNML) is NOT necessarily a Veg meal - it could be a Non Veg meal that is not Halal.Similarly a Moslem meal (MOML) is a Non Vegetarian meal that is HALAL.A Vegetarian meal, on the other pic.twitter.com/kCfHzykliy
Sanjay Lazar (@sjlazars) August 27, 2024

- HNML (Hindu Meal): A meal that generally avoids beef and pork, often including vegetarian or non-vegetarian options that are not halal.
- MOML (Muslim Meal): A meal prepared according to halal standards, excluding pork and alcohol.
- AVML (Asian Vegetarian Meal): A vegetarian meal often influenced by Indian cuisine, which does not include meat, fish, or eggs.- VGML (Vegetarian Vegan Meal): A vegan meal that excludes all animal products, including dairy and eggs.

These codes are intended to ensure that passengers with specific religious or dietary requirements are served appropriately but their usage can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or be perceived as insensitive, as this incident indicates.

Vistara, owned by Tata SIA Airlines, has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.