Korean Air to use more locally sourced ingredients for international flights

Korean Air will use more locally sourced ingredients for its meals during international flights to invigorate the country's agriculture and fishery industries.

In-flight meals served by Korean Air [KOREAN AIR]

Korean Air will use more locally sourced ingredients for its meals during international flights to invigorate the country's agriculture and fishery industries.

The airliner increased its portion of locally sourced ingredients from 60 percent to 64 percent over the last five years, according to the company.

Korean Air serves an average of 44,000 in-flight meals every day on outbound international flights from Incheon Airport and Gimhae Airport in Busan.

“We locally source many of the ingredients where freshness is important, like with agricultural products, vegetables and fruits,” Korean Air said in a press release Monday.

The company explained that it imports ingredients that are not homegrown in Korea, such as oranges, kiwis and certain fishery products, and that it is also "considering ways to localize the ingredients we import."

Korean Air will also develop more in-flight meal menu items that better utilize locally sourced ingredients.

"[We] will work hard to provide quality in-flight meals to customers using ingredients sourced within Korea," the airline said. “We hope other Korea-based airlines follow in-flight meal localization efforts."

“The increased usage of locally sourced ingredients in outbound flights from Korea, where a significant number is produced every day, will no doubt be a big support to the Korean agricultural and fishery industry,” Democratic Party Rep. Moon Dae-lim said.

Rep. Moon is a member of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee of the National Assembly and has been calling on airlines to use local ingredients for in-flight meals.

“I will be working with Korean Air and Korean farms and fisheries in various ways so more in-flight meals utilize locally sourced fisheries and agricultural products," he said.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]