Flight attendant reveals why you should always avoid eating off the tray table on planes

The holiday season is finally upon us - and no, I'm not talking about Christmas...

I'm talking about the time of year to jet off abroad, soak up some sun, top up your tan, dive head-first into delicious foreign delicacies and eat your bodyweight in Lays crisps.

Year upon year, however, when the eagerly-awaited summer season finally rolls around after months of mild weather and misery, hoards of travel experts come out of hibernation to offer advice and issue warnings of important things to remember before trotting the globe.

Just last week, a nude cruise-goer opened up about the 'strict rules' on board the infamous 'spicy cruises', while detailing how freeing sailing the seven seas can be.

And in the same week, holidaymakers travelling to Spain this summer were warned about the legal risks of donning a two-piece swimsuit in certain public spaces, after a batch of Brits were dealt hefty fines for doing so.

Today, however, another warning has been circulating the internet after a member of cabin crew issued a rather concerning statement about the risks of where you eat airplane food.

Apparently, you should avoid eating off tray tables. (Peter Cade/Getty)

While the cabin crew staff member insisted it's perfectly acceptable to tuck into a meal on-board a flight - whether it's a pre-purchased meal deal from the airport, or a ham and cheese toastie from the cabin crew cart - she said the way you eat your food should be carefully considered.

In fact, she says that opting to eat off the tray table attached to the seat in front of you can expose you to the multitude of germs and bacteria that reside on it.

Speaking anonymously to press, the flight attendant warned: "Whether you're eating an in-flight meal or having a mid-flight snack, never eat directly off the tray table."

She went on: "Attendants see so many people lay their heads, change their babies' nappies and even have their feet on the tray tables."

GROSS!

Always ask a cabin crew member to give your tray table a wipe before you start eating. (Jupterimages)

The cabin crew member emphasises, therefore, that diners on-board should ask their nearest flight attendant to wipe down the surface of their tables, or simply hand them an antibacterial wipe.

Speaking of in-flight meals, this alarming news comes just weeks after another cabin crew member advised passengers to 'avoid plane food as much as you can'.

Catching up with the Express, she claimed her plea is because the meals contain high quantities of salt 'higher than most ready meals we buy in supermarkets'.

The high salt content in meals served on planes comes down to the fact that our senses become less sensitive on planes.

In 2010, a study tested people's sense of taste inside and outside a simulated plane cabin and found that sensitivity to sweet and salty food was reduced by 30 percent while in the cabin.

The flight attendant continued: "The companies that prepare food for the airlines add much more salt to it in order to have a nice flavour at 40,000 feet.

"You could choose a salad or fruit salad, for example. Make sure you drink plenty of water before, during and after a flight to hydrate yourself."