Our Pledge
At LSG Sky Chefs, making safe, wholesome, delicious food for airline passengers is at the core of what we do. We take great pride in being at the forefront of developing best practices in this dynamic industry.
Our Global Quality System (GQS) sets our high quality standards, which are designed to meet or exceed all customer expectations, as well as all federal, state and local regulatory requirements. This system includes:
- Food Safety Practices (FSP), which considers prerequisite programs
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), which is used to measure food safety performance
- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), which covers food production processes, service processes such as equipment handling, bonded and non-bonded storage, ramp, transportation, and loading, with careful monitoring and measurements at each step of the process
- Critical Manufacturing Control Point (CMCP), which is used to measure the non-food safety related quality performance.
In the following we focus on our food safety measures within the Global Quality System, which is FSP and HACCP.
The Global Quality System is regularly updated for new regulations and governmental requirements. To ensure we are always up to date on the latest information, LSG Sky Chefs actively participates in industry expert forums regarding food safety, which consider scientific based knowledge in the airline catering industry. Using the knowledge gained at these forums, we then develop new standards and immediately implement them into our Global Quality System as part of our continual improvement process.
Our Safety & Quality Assurance Practices: Our FSP & HACCP system within GQS covers documented procedures on practices listed above. Below are some of the aspects of our GQS followed in our facilities worldwide:
Food Safety Practice:
Personal Hygiene: This portion of FSP regulates items such as hand washing, use of uniforms and safety shoes, hair restraints, use of disposable gloves as well as staff training on personal hygiene.
Building Sanitation: In this area our GQS requires for example proper facility cleaning and pest control programs. Cleaning schedules are posted specific to each area, and information and training is available on cleaning frequency, which chemicals to use, and who is responsible for cleaning duties. Pest control is performed by external pest control experts that regularly perform visits to verify the effectiveness of their programs.
Equipment Sanitation: The cleaning and sanitizing of dishes, glasses and other onboard service items as well as kitchen equipment and utensils is strictly monitored, using either thermal sanitization or chemical sanitization as is appropriate. Dishwashing machines are constantly monitored to verify proper temperatures, and chemical levels are monitored and logged to ensure proper sanitizing.
Food Handling: This area, for example, covers food safety measures in regard to food covering, thawing, trimming, washing, cutting, slicing as well as segregation of raw and ready-to-eat food, date labeling, stock control and time and temperature control from production until delivery to the aircraft.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): We also follow the rigorous industry standard HACCP Plan across our worldwide network. HACCP is a systematic approach to control identified hazards that directly affect the safety of food. Following the 7 principles of HACCP, we have assessed and identified so-called "Critical Control Points" which are monitored, recorded and verified throughout the production process to ensure we maintain the highest food safety standards.
Quality Managers: We have Quality Managers at all of our locations around the world who conduct regular inspections and use our GQS to verify quality, food safety practices and HACCP records - beginning with the receipt of goods and storage, and continuing throughout the production process until dispatch and loading of the aircraft.
Furthermore, the Quality Manager is responsible for verification of the food safety practices and HACCP in each facility. Measures for verification include record review, monitoring food through microbiological analysis and extensive contact swab tests throughout the facility and on all equipment to ensure cleanliness.
Regular staff training, thermometer calibration, supplier approval and complaint handling are among several other tasks which are a part of the daily routine of a Quality Manager.
Quality and Food Safety Audits: Our systems are checked and confirmed through a series of audits, some of which are conducted as unannounced audits by an external hygiene institute, by state and local governments, by our airline customers as well as third party vendors.
Management Review: The management team reviews all inspection results, internal records and external provider documentation as well as monthly quality reports to ensure our facilities meet or exceed the industry compliance standards.