The most fascinating details and secrets from inside Singapore Airline's food facility

• How airplane food is made can depend on the airline.
• For Singapore Airlines, they contract an airline catering firm called Gate Gourmet in Switzerland to produce more than 50,000 meals a day.
• Some of the most fascinating details and secrets from inside Singapore Airline's food facility include that the kitchen has only five hours to prepare 1,500 meals for a full flight, and one mistake could waste 33 pounds of food at a time.

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Airplane food has a reputation for not being particularly great. But when you fly Singapore Airlines, there's a really slim chance you'll get stuck with a bad meal.

Singapore Airlines rakes in tons of awards for being one of the best airlines in the world, and one of the chief considerations for such awards is the food — even in economy class. The airline's food and wine variety and quality stand out among its competitors'.

According to the Netflix documentary series"Mega Food," Singapore Airlines, which was the first airline to introduce in-flight entertainment and food options, serves about 50,000 meals a day. On its A380 flight, passengers have more than 50 meal choices. And food served on board is never frozen and almost always made from scratch. 

So how does Singapore Airlines do it?

The airline contracts with Gate Gourmet, the world's largest independent airline catering company, which is headquartered on the grounds of Zürich Airport in Switzerland and has 122 kitchens serving five continents and making 250 million meals a year.

Gate Gourmet's staff, including regional executive chef Oliver Fischer, took "Mega Food" through their facility to show how airplane food is made for Singapore Airlines.

Here are some of the most fascinating details and secrets from inside the food facility where Singapore Airline's meals are made.

Gate Gourmet staffs 30 people a day to work one Singapore Airlines flight. The kitchen has just five hours to cook 1,500 meals for a full flight, and offerings include Western, Asian, and special meals, each with their own team of chefs and recipe books.

Source: "Mega Food"

To ensure cultural authenticity, recipes include precise measurements for spices and ingredients. One mistake or deviation from the recipe could result in 33 pounds of food wasted at a time.

Source: "Mega Food"

The most complex foods for the kitchen to make, Fisher said, are ethnic foods where there is also a religious component restricting certain ingredients. "You need a lot of understanding of culture," he said.

Source: "Mega Food"

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