Bite the bullet: Surprise ingredient in British Airways flight leaves passenger something to chew over

Inflight meal: The extraordinary disclaimer seemed to be a badge of authenticity rather than a genuine warning. Photo / Getty Images

A business class fare with BA means superior service and superior ingredients.

However, this exotic inclusion nearly caused one passenger to choke on his inflight meal.

When Dr Brown was handed the supper menu on his British Airways flight from London to Chicago O'Hare he was surprised to have to be warned of "a very small risk of bullet fragments."

"You've got to be kidding me," wrote the radio host on twitter, with a picture captioned "From the British Airways in-flight menu from London to Chicago."

The dish in question was the Home Counties venison stew with rosemary dumplings, roasted chestnuts and wilted kale. Yet - as if to add an extra layer of authenticity to the menu - the airline had chosen to include the extraordinary disclaimer implying that the animal had met its end in the deer parks of the Home Counties in the sights of a rifle.

You've got to be kidding me. From the British Airways in-flight menu from London to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/lfecoXAllk

— Dr. Michael L. Brown (@DrMichaelLBrown) December 9, 2018

"I travelled first class from Mumbai to Heathrow, and this item definitely wasn't on the menu," he told the Sun Online.

"I didn't order it but I found this to be very strange," confessed the passenger from North Carolina.

One response to his tweed said it was so the fellow Americans on board couldn't sue the airline.

"I told him he could well be right," said Dr Brown.

A British Airways spokesperson said: "These warnings are there as a precaution, and are common practice. We source the best British ingredients for our in-flight menu and this is no exception." Though the statement did not clarify as to where exactly the deer had been sourced for the flight.

In response to the story the Food Standards agency told simply flying magazine that passengers should have no worry about lead shot or similar in game meat served in airline meals:

"Generally, the large game sold in supermarkets is farmed and will have no or very low lead levels. You don't need to worry about eating this kind of game meat."

It is likely that this would also apply to British Airways whose venison meal will come from a large supplier which is unlikely to have been shot. The "Home Counties" meal might not be so British after all, as it is noted some of the largest UK suppliers of game meat for catering use farmed New Zealand venison.

The menu disclaimer was likely just a touch of colour for the passengers rather than a genuine failsafe.

The British national air carrier has a history of teaming up with maverick chefs including Heston Blumenthal, whose additions to the menu and wine list were meant to magnify flavour in high altitude, compressed aircraft cabins.

However not everyone is wowed by the meals served by BA.

UK passenger Brian Horton who flew from Florida to London last month was left furious after being served only a cereal bar for breakfast on the $800 eight-hour flight.

"An hour before landing after an eight-hour flight we were given an energy bar as our breakfast," he said in comment to The Sun newspaper. "I kept the wrapper as a souvenir."

The airline has been contacted for statement with regards to the origins of the "Home Counties venison stew" meal.