All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-Star airline for nine consecutive years, will offer environmentally friendly inflight meal options for its first and business classes on select international routes featuring sustainable dishes and ingredients with less environmental impact. In addition, as an effort to solve food loss issues, ANA will start using rice that have been out of circulation, which will be offered in ANA's employee cafeterias. These actions align with the values of ANA Future Promise
, the airline's initiative to promote sustainability and social good.
"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."
Kale focaccia offered as in-flight meal
Since 2008, ANA Catering Service has recycled 100% of the food waste collected from in-flight meal preparations into compost and animal feed, and from March 2022, soft kale grown with compost recycled from in-flight meal preparation waste has been served as in-flight salad on economy class on select international routes, completing the recycling system of cooking residues.
Based on this recycling system, 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.
"Nobeoka bamboo shoots" offered as in-flight meal
ANA will also begin offering a new Japanese dish using the "Nobeoka bamboo shoots" on first class on select international routes departing from Japan starting September 1 through November 30, 2022.
"Nobeoka bamboo shoots", produced by LOCAL BAMBOO INC., are made from bamboo shoots grown in Nobeoka, a city in Miyazaki prefecture Japan, and was developed to tackle the issue of abandoned bamboo groves, which has become a nationwide issue. In addition to its quality and taste, ANA supports the sustainable approach to solving the issue.
Utilizing rice out of circulation in the employee cafeteria
ANA Group is enacting a variety of initiatives to reduce food loss, including controlling the number of in-flight meals precisely through an advanced meal reservation service.
Starting October 2022, ANA will adopt rice that has been out of circulation in the market in the employee cafeteria at the ANA Group Training Center (ANA Blue Base) in cooperation with Food Loss bank, Inc.. This rice used by ANA 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.