A week after an air passenger alleged that a blade-like metal piece was present in his meal during a Bangalore-San Francisco flight, Air India, in a statement, confirmed the presence of a “foreign object” in the food. The airline attributed the foreign object to the vegetable processing machine used by its catering partner. 

Rajesh Dogra, Air India’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, stated that they have conducted an investigation and identified the source of the metal piece.

“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,” Air India Chief Customer Experience Officer Rajesh Dogra said in the statement.

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Air India assured that they have taken steps to prevent such incidents in the future, including increased checks on the processing equipment. They have also apologised to the affected customer and expressed regret for the incident. 

Journalist finds blade in his food

The passenger, Mathures Paul, shared his experience on social media, highlighting concerns over food safety. 

“Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done,” the passenger, Mathures Paul, a journalist, said in the post.

Paul blamed Air India’s catering service, adding, “but the incident doesn’t help the image I have of Air India”, adding that “what if the metal piece was in the food served to a child?” 

“Air India has engaged with the affected customer and deeply apologises for this experience,” he added. 

Second incident in a week

This incident is the second complaint involving the food served on Air India’s long-haul flights, owned by the Tata Group. Just days earlier, a business-class passenger on the New Delhi-Newark flight accused the airline of serving “uncooked” food and maintaining dirty seats, deeming the journey “nothing short of a nightmare.”

(With inputs from PTI)

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