British Air reviewes menu plans

All British Airways' menu plans have been reviewed following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

More vegetarian and fish dishes are being introduced, and menu selection may be affected by the availability of some meat products as the Global Catering department continues to monitor the situation closely.

“Safety for our customers remains the top concern for British Airways,’’ said Tony King, general manager of Global Catering.

“While our food suppliers have always provided us with high-quality food which is safe, we have nonetheless re-stated to them that all products should continue to be sourced from sustainable supply, and must conform to the strictest guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.’’

The discovery of the disease led to a ban on the export of live animals, fresh meat and meat products to the European Union from the UK since February.

Similar restrictions were implemented by North American and Canadian authorities.

Foot and mouth disease mainly affects cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. The disease does not affect humans. It is inactivated at cooking temperatures, which means that cooked or pasteurized products will not spread the disease. Neither can the virus survive in products which have a low acidity, such as yogurt.

All food served on BA aircraft is cooked or processed in accordance with the guidelines provided by UK authorities to prevent the spread of the virus.

All BA’s beef has been sourced from outside the UK following the outbreak of BSE. Beef is currently imported from areas of South Africa which are free from BSE and foot and mouth disease.