A friend works for a small airline cuisine contractor.
The things she's told me about are..

1. During the production of a lamb curry dish it was found that they didnt have enough lamb to serve the 200 portions they needed so management decided to pad it out with rolled up newspapers soaked in gravy. Apparently the independant tasting team who check the meals before they go out thought it was the 'best lamb they'd ever tasted'

2. The fish cutlets are often so small they get lost in the folds in the foil tray. Sometimes they find adding more bones gives it more body and substance, but nothing does the job quite as well as re-fried offal. This is why you dont opt for the fish on a long haul flight.

3. Cost cutting abounds in this environment. Occasionally the used foil containers are returned, deep fried and reserved to passengers as the crackling on a roast pork joint.

4. Gravy browning can often be expensive. To combat this woe, they often create a substitute consisting of brown woodstain and sawdust. It's delicious and contains essential inks.

5. She tells me that quite often it would be healthier to eat the inflight magazine and safety card than try one of the meals. It would certainly be easier on the palate.
(Vic Flange, Fri 28 Sep 2007, 10:39, Reply)