ANA is to offer new, environmentally friendly, in-flight meals in its international first class cabin.
The meals include a kale main course, kale focaccia, made using soft kale grown with compost recycled from in-flight meal residues. (Kale has been on offer for economy passengers since earlier this year.
ANA to offer healthy and sustainable in-flight meals
The kale focaccia kneaded with soft kale paste in the dough will be available on first and business class in-flight meals on select international routes departing from Japan from September 1 through November 30, 2022. This focaccia is an ANA original, handmade one by one in-house at the in-flight catering facility.
Other environmental dishes includes “Nobeoka bamboo shoots” made from bamboo shoots grown in Nobeoka, a city in Miyazaki prefecture and is a dish developed by Local Bamboo Inc in response to the issue of abandoned bamboo groves, which has become a nationwide issue.
For ANA employees and in cooperation with Food Loss Bank, Inc., ANA will offer rice that have been out of circulation in the market, to be offered in the employee cafeteria at ANA Group Training Center (ANA Blue Base) starting October 2022. ANA says “This rice has been out of circulation due to time since harvest and not due to quality issues. ANA hopes this will contribute to increased employee awareness for sustainability, by having each employee involved in food loss reduction.”
The environmentally friendly inflight meal options will be offered in both its first and business classes on select international routes made from ingredients with less environmental impact.
The kale focaccia in-flight meal is possible because since 2008, ANA Catering Service has recycled 100 per cent of the food waste collected from in-flight meal preparations into compost and animal feed.
From March 2022, soft kale grown with compost recycled from in-flight meal preparation waste has been served as an in-flight salad in economy class on select international routes, completing the recycling system of cooking residues.
“The sustainability of the society we live in is just as important as the health of our customers.”, said Tomoji Ishii, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Management & Planning of ANA. “With our sustainable approach to in-flight meals, among other initiatives, we aim to make a difference in the world and inspire others to do the same.”
