Food safety question: pouring back into container?
 

I won't reveal the flight details since I don't want to inadvertently get the FA (who was otherwise very professional and attentive) in trouble, but I saw something today that surprised me.

After pre-departure beverages (water/OJ) were distributed, there was one untouched plastic cup left over on the tray. While the plane was taxiing, I saw the FA carefully pour the water back into the plastic water bottle whence it came.

I felt conflicted because while on the one hand it could potentially be a health code issue (I've seen other threads here on FT about use of ice, cups, etc.)... Chances were pretty good that the poured water was not contaminated, and I always feel guilty about drinking bottled water anyway.

Witnessing this did not dissuade me from asking for water during the flight, but I was wondering if anybody else has seen similar behavior, and how you would react to it?

Yet another reason why I only drink sparkling water onboard, or water from a sealed individual bottle.

There's a fairly good chance that water bottle was refilled as it was, as long as nobody touched it I don't think it really would have bothered me. But then again, since I don't trust the water on planes, I don't drink it, so it really wouldn't matter.

Maybe the FA knew that the water bottle would be disposed of after.. so pouring back is just a way to get just one bottle sealed into the garbage can..

If the water was untouched then it is as safe going back in as when it came out. Really, not sure why this is even worth a thought. Next time, bring more reading material?

I know that it's SOP on some airlines to refill water bottles with airplane water and use that in the middle of the flight. I'd be more concerned about drinking that then the scenario you're describing.

I honestly don't see any problem here.

Quite frankly, you sound like a lawyer fishing for technical violations of pointless rules.

I can see OPs POV.. really we just don't know the circumstances of why, how, when, what and where.. the FA is pouring water back into the container..

Hard to conclude on a situation that is just in itself open ended..

I have. It doesn't bother me if the FA seemed otherwise attentive (read: she handed out drinks rather than serving from a tray and having others grab their own cup, potentially touching the cup in question).

I'd just as soon the FA pour good bottled water back into the bottle for my use later inflight, than to toss it and end up serving me airplane water once the bottles ran dry.

I also drink out of the garden hose, though, so YMMV.

OP here. Not fishing for technicalities, don't know what the rules are, certainly not wanting to sue. As I mentioned, I drank from the refilled water bottle with the first beverage service, so I wasn't too concerned.

I was simply curious because I hadn't seen this done before. I was also impressed by the meticulousness with which the FA poured the (wide-brimmed) cup of water back into the (narrow-mouth) bottle!

But apparently, this is pretty common and not worth talking about :)

I would call that "paranoid". They'll get through it all far more quickly than the time needed for anything to grow in there.

Pouring back from a *used* glass would be disgusting, but from a fresh one doesn't seem a problem to me.

Neil

We're assuming its from a fresh glass..

But I think drinking from a sealed container isn't too bad of a habit.. my wife prefers to do that..

For myself anything that's opened by my immediate family (wife, 5 year old and one year old), I don't mind finishing it off..

When I was in high school in chemistry lab, I remember being told not to pour any unused liquid back into the bottle you got it from because you can contaminate it.

The same is true for drinking water, though "contamination" from a laboratory definition doesn't necessarily mean the water is no longer drinkable.

+1

Individual choice, of course, but I would say overzealous. The immune system is a wonderful thing. Well, mine is so wonderful that it likes attacking various foodstuffs that pose no threat at all... ;)

(If you have an immune deficiency, of course, the situation is rather different).

Neil