After every flight, extra meals end up in the bin.
To reduce waste, SATS, a major player in the food industry and Changi Airport’s main airline caterer, has invested in new technology to extend the shelf life of cooked food. This means that those extra meals can be served at a later date instead of getting junked.
Fresh meals that are immediately chilled can now be stored for up to 90 days without added preservatives, instead of the typical 24 to 48 hours.
It is also possible for ready-to-eat-meals to be stored, without refrigeration, for between six and 24 months.
This can be done with no adverse impact on food safety, nutrition or taste, SATS stressed, adding that shelf life is extended with pasteurisation and sterilisation.
SATS showcased the new technology yesterday at the launch of its extended kitchen facility at Changi North, which is part of a $25 million investment.
The kitchen can now produce up to 60,000 meals a day, compared with 45,000 previously, SATS told Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and other guests at the event.
Singapore Airline’s (SIA) budget arm, Scoot, is the first carrier to adopt the new technology, and will feature some of the meals from June.
SIA itself has no plans to do the same at this time.
At the Changi North facility, SATS is also boosting efficiency with new equipment such as giant auto-fryers.
With the equipment, it takes half an hour to cook 60kg of fried rice or noodles, compared with 90 minutes previously.
The firm is also harnessing technology to simulate production lines so that resource and manpower planning can be optimised.
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Source: The Straits Times, 12 March 2019