If you have been asked to follow a low-purine diet, you may be wondering whether airlines can provide a suitable meal when you fly. Some airlines use the special meal code PRML to identify a Low Purine Meal.
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In this guide, I explain what the PRML airline meal code means, who may request one, what foods you might be served and how to order a special meal before your flight.
What Does PRML Mean on a Flight?
PRML is an airline special meal code used for a Low Purine Meal. A low-purine meal is designed to limit foods that are particularly high in purines. Purines are substances found naturally in the body and in certain foods. When they are broken down, the body produces uric acid.
PRML meals are not offered by every airline, and the exact ingredients and nutritional standards can vary between carriers and catering providers.
Who Might Request a PRML Low Purine Meal?
A PRML meal may be suitable for passengers who have been advised by a healthcare professional to follow a low-purine diet. Low-purine diets are commonly associated with managing high uric acid levels and conditions such as gout. However, dietary requirements can vary considerably between individuals, so an airline PRML meal should not automatically be assumed to meet every medical or dietary requirement you have.
If you need to follow a strict diet for medical reasons, check the airline’s definition of its Low Purine Meal before travelling. You may also want to investigate if you are able to bring extra foods or medicines as medical luggage if your low purine diet is for medical reasons.
What Foods Are Usually Avoided in a PRML Meal?
A Low Purine Meal will generally aim to avoid or limit foods that are particularly high in purines.
Depending on the airline’s catering guidelines, this may include:
- Organ meats such as liver and kidney
- Certain types of red meat or meat extracts
- Some oily fish and seafood
- Foods containing concentrated meat stocks or gravies
- Certain other ingredients considered particularly high in purines
The exact exclusions can differ between airlines. PRML does not necessarily mean that a meal is completely purine-free.
What Might Be Included in a PRML Airline Meal?
The contents of a PRML meal will depend on the airline, route and catering provider. You might receive a meal containing foods such as:
- Rice, pasta or potatoes
- Vegetables
- Salad
- Bread or rolls
- Fruit
- Low-fat dairy products, where appropriate
- Eggs
- A simple dessert
Some airlines may include a carefully selected portion of meat or another protein source, while others may provide a predominantly vegetarian meal. As with all airline special meals, there is no single standard menu that every airline follows.
Is PRML Meal a Vegetarian Meal?
Not necessarily. The PRML meal code refers to a Low Purine Meal rather than a vegetarian meal. Depending on the airline, it may contain meat, dairy products, eggs or other animal-derived ingredients.
If you require a vegetarian or vegan meal as well as following a low-purine diet, you should contact the airline to discuss your requirements. You may find that another special meal code is more appropriate, but airlines cannot always combine multiple special meal requirements into one meal. For a full list of airline meal codes, you can head over to my meal codes guide.
Is a PRML Meal Suitable for People With Food Allergies?
You should not assume that a PRML meal is allergy-safe. PRML describes the meal’s low-purine dietary purpose and does not indicate that it is free from common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, gluten, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya, fish or shellfish.
If you have a food allergy, contact the airline before travelling to ask about its allergy policy and onboard catering procedures.
Cross-contamination may also be possible in airline catering facilities, so passengers with severe allergies should check directly with their airline.
For more advie for travelling with allergies, my guide to travelling with an allergy is a good place to start planning your next trip.
How Do I Order a PRML Meal?
If your airline offers a Low Purine Meal, you can usually request it through the Manage My Booking section of the airline’s website or app. If PRML does not appear as an option, contact the airline directly to ask whether a Low Purine Meal is available on your flight.
Special meals normally need to be ordered in advance. The deadline varies between airlines, but many carriers require requests to be made at least 24 to 48 hours before departure. Some require more notice.
I recommend requesting your meal as early as possible and checking that the request appears on your booking.
What Should I Do at the Airport?
When you check in, ask the airline staff to confirm that your PRML special meal request is attached to your booking. Once onboard, you can also mention your special meal to a member of the cabin crew. Special meals are often labelled individually and may be served separately from the standard meal service.
Even when a special meal has been requested in advance, catering mistakes can occasionally happen. If following a low-purine diet is important for your health, consider bringing suitable snacks or food as a backup, provided they comply with airport security and customs rules for your destination.
Is PRML Airline Meal Available on Every Airline?
No. Low Purine Meals are relatively specialised and may not be available with every airline. Availability can also depend on your route, cabin class and whether a full meal service is provided on your flight.
Some airlines may be able to accommodate dietary requirements without specifically using the PRML code, while others may offer only a limited selection of standard special meals.
Always check directly with your airline rather than assuming that PRML will be available.
PRML Meal Code FAQs
What does PRML stand for?
PRML is used as an airline special meal code for a Low Purine Meal.
What is a PRML airline meal?
A PRML meal is designed for passengers who need or prefer a diet that limits foods high in purines.
Is a PRML meal purine-free?
Not necessarily. It is generally described as a Low Purine Meal, meaning high-purine foods may be restricted or avoided. It should not be assumed to contain no purines at all.
Is a PRML special meal suitable for gout?
Low-purine diets may be recommended as part of the management of gout or high uric acid levels. However, individual dietary advice can differ, so check whether the airline’s PRML meal meets your particular requirements.
Is the PRML special meal vegetarian?
Not necessarily. A PRML meal may contain animal-derived ingredients and potentially some types of meat, depending on the airline’s catering specifications.
How far in advance should I order a PRML meal?
This depends on the airline. Special meals commonly need to be requested at least 24 to 48 hours before departure.
PRML is the airline special meal code associated with a Low Purine Meal. It may be an option for passengers who have been advised to limit their intake of high-purine foods, including some people managing high uric acid levels or gout. However, PRML is one of the less commonly offered airline special meals, so availability varies considerably between airlines and routes.
If you require a Low Purine Meal, check with your airline well before departure and confirm exactly what its PRML meal is designed to exclude. For passengers with additional requirements, such as food allergies or vegetarian and vegan diets, it is particularly important to check whether the available meal can accommodate all of your needs.
You can also explore my complete guide to airline meal codes to learn what the different special meal abbreviations mean and find the most appropriate option for your next flight.
Continue Learning About Airline Meal Codes
Airlines use a wide range of special meal codes for passengers with dietary, religious and medical requirements. If you are comparing your options, continue reading our guides to airline special meal codes to find out what each meal code means and which option may be most suitable for your next flight.
- Airline meal codes and what they mean
- What does CHML mean?
- What does HNML mean?
- What does LPML mean?
- What does DBML mean?
- What does LSML mean?
- What does SPML mean?
- Download and print a copy of all of the airline meal codes for your own reference
Continue Planning Your Trip With an Allergy
- Start at the beginning – learn about travelling with an allergy from my main guide
- Learn about airline meal codes and what they stand for so you can be sure your meal is allergen free
- Find out what is in my babies allergy travel bag so you can save yourself the headache of packing without a list
- Explore what it means to fly with medical luggage as an allergy travellers
- Download and print some free allergy translation cards before your trip
- Find out what Equal Eats allergy translation cards are and how to use them to travel safer
- Learn why it is important to learn important phrases related to your allergy before you travel and downloaed the free accessible travel translations eBook
- Figure out what to include on a doctors travel letter for medication so you can get it right the first time
- Find out more about flying with EpiPens so you can travel with confidence
- Airport special assistance links for airports around the world
Continue Planning Your Accessible Travels Using My Guides
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