A Muslim man travelling in Singapore Airlines (SIA) business class to New York says he was served a dish containing prosciutto, which is actually pork.
However, when he asked the crew whether it was safe to eat, he was allegedly told that it wasn’t pork, causing him to consume it following the assurance.
Was served salad with prosciutto
Speaking to Mothership, the man named Jey said he had been a practising Muslim for more than 30 years.
While onboard the flight to New York, Jey said he was served a meal called “Grilled Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto”.
Unsure of what prosciutto was, he asked the cabin crew if it was bacon. However, the crew told him it wasn’t and that it was safe for him to consume.
Crew claims miscommunication
Trusting the crew member’s words, Jey began eating but soon felt uneasy due to it “unfamiliar” taste and texture.
When he decided to check online what the meaning prosciutto, he realised that it was cured pork—a discovery that left him “in complete shock”.
When Jey raised the matter, the crew reportedly suggested they might have misheard him. They later admitted that the staff who served him the meal were junior members who had no idea prosciutto was pork.
No pork labels evident
Jey added he had prebooked a halal refreshment for himself before the flight and didn’t choose a Muslim meal for lunch under the “Book the Cook” option. However, he claimed the dish had no pork label.
At the time of writing, SIA’s website doesn’t show labels for meals that contain pork.
Offered free miles and vouchers as compensation
Following the incident, Jey filed a complaint with SIA, where he was offered a S$150 (approx. RM 494) KrisShop voucher, followed by 15,000 KrisFlyer miles which was later increased to 30,000.
But Jey rejected all offers, calling them “saddening and insulting, adding he had paid around S$10,000 (approx. RM 39,900) for his business class ticket.
No person of faith — Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise — would willingly break sacred dietary law in exchange for 30,000 miles,” he added.
Jey later lodged a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
SIA issues apology and updates procedures
SIA has since confirmed to Mothership that the passenger was served a dish containing pork and apologised for the incident.
“When our cabin crew members became aware that the customer does not consume pork, they immediately apologised, removed the dish, and offered an alternative,” said a representative.
They added that cabin crew training and service procedures have since been strengthened, and advised passengers with special dietary or religious needs to pre-book such meals for all services before their flights.
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