Business class airline passenger shares shocking photo of her ‘disgraceful’ in-flight meal: ‘[This] seems particularly important’

Chris Chari, a business class passenger on a seven-hour Japan Airlines flight, claimed he was served a banana as a vegetarian meal during the flight’s first meal service, Business Insider reports.

Business Insider says Chari was traveling from Jakarta, Indonesia to Tokyo, Japan in February. He claimed he had requested a “vegetarian vegetarian meal” listed on the Japan Airlines website. The website shows a selection of vegetarian options that comply with Hindu, Muslim and Jain beliefs, as well as vegetarian options – each of which appears as a full meal in the photographs on the page.

But according to Chari, while the non-vegetarian passengers were served cooked tuna, Moroccan-style eggplant salad, cheese and a baguette, they only got a banana and a pair of chopsticks.

A business class airline passenger who ordered a vegetarian meal says being served a banana with a pair of chopsticks was insulting https://t.co/it8rElphUI

– Insider News (@InsiderNews) 27 February 2023

“It’s a bit insulting to be served a single banana, while others are given a far more significant and delicious menu,” he told Business Insider, sharing a photo of the bite-sized meal. “This seems especially important given the increase in the number of vegetarians and vegans.”

While many people become vegetarian for health reasons, some are concerned about the environmental impact of raising animals for food. Greenpeace reports that eating meat is an inefficient use of agricultural land and is directly leading to deforestation as trees are being cut down to make room for cattle.

But in a society built for meat eaters, switching to a plant-based diet can be difficult. Japan Airlines isn’t the only organization with disappointing vegan food. Business Insider also reported last August that Air Canada served only water to a vegetarian passenger on a 10-hour flight. Meanwhile, school cafeterias are starting to offer plant-based proteins in lunches.

“We apologize for not being able to meet expectations” for a proper vegetarian menu, a representative for Japan Airlines told Business Insider. “We will continue to respond to our menu in response to the growing interest and diverse needs of customers requesting special meals, including this customer’s valuable feedback.”

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