In the aviation industry, the plastic lock on a food cart is known as a tamper-evident seal or security seal. It plays an important role in safety, security, and compliance.
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What It Is
A plastic tamper-evident seal is a small lock placed on airline meal carts (also called trolleys or ATLAS carts) to ensure they remain closed and untouched from the time they are loaded until they reach the aircraft.
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Key Purposes
1. Security
- Prevents unauthorized access to food, alcohol, or duty-free items.
- Ensures no one tampers with the contents during transport from catering facility → aircraft.
2. Safety
- Reduces risks of contamination.
- Ensures items inside are untouched until opened by authorized crew.
3. Compliance
Airlines are required to follow:
- Airport security regulations
- Customs & duty rules (especially for alcohol)
- Inflight catering standards
4. Tracking & Auditing
Each seal normally has:
- A unique serial number
- Sometimes a barcode
- A color code (based on airline or catering shift)
Crew record the seal number during:
- Pre-flight safety checks
- Post-flight security clearance
This provides a traceable audit trail.
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Types of Plastic Seals in Aviation
Type
Description
Pull-tight seal
Adjustable length; used for carts and containers
Fixed-length security seal
Breaks when cart is opened
Barcode/numbered seal
Used for tracking and audits
High-strength seals
Used for liquor carts or high-value item carts
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How Crew Use It
- Catering loads meals → seals the cart
- Seal number is documented
- Cart loaded onto aircraft
- Crew verifies the seal matches documentation
- To use the cart, crew breaks the seal
- Broken seal is kept for recordkeeping
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Common Manufacturers
- TydenBrooks
- Versapak
- Unisto
- Mega Fortris
- Hansco
- (Used globally by airline catering companies like LSG Sky Chefs, dnata, Qatar Airways Catering, Gate Gourmet, etc.)
If you want, I can also provide:
✅ Diagram of a sealed cart
✅ Procurement list (models & prices)
✅ Safety procedure checklist for audits
Just tell me!