The Royal Air Force has given the green light for Tunnock’s Teacakes to return to the skies, after tests debunked a long-standing myth that the Scottish delicacy could explode mid-flight.
The 60-year-old story dates back to 1965 when it was believed that a Teacake exploded in a cockpit during a training mission.
The story goes that a captain and a student pilot, during a routine training sortie, had left unwrapped Teacakes on top of their instrument panel. When the captain pulled an emergency depressurisation switch, the treats supposedly detonated, causing a sticky mess throughout the cockpit.
This tale has lingered for decades and led to the snack being banned from RAF flights. However, recent tests at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine have put the long-standing myth to rest.
In a controlled experiment, the Teacakes were placed in an altitude chamber, where they were exposed to a rapid decompression test. The chamber was first pressurized to 8,000 feet before being quickly depressurized to 25,000 feet. While the chocolate shell cracked and the marshmallow filling expanded, the Teacakes did not explode, and no safety concerns were raised.
Dr. Oliver Bird, a medical officer instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, advised pilots: “to keep the snacks frozen and in their foil wrapping until pilots are ready to eat them.”
The myth surrounding the Teacakes’ supposed explosion had lingered in RAF folklore for decades, but a senior RAF source confirmed there was no official record of the alleged incident. “We have no information on any explosion of confectionery,” the source said, adding that snacks like sandwiches and crisps were more commonly eaten on long missions.
Founded in 1890 by Thomas Tunnock in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, the company has grown to employ over 600 people and exports its products to more than 30 countries. The iconic Teacake was introduced in 1956 and has since become a flagship product.
Fergus Loudon, sales director at Tunnock’s, responded to the news with a sense of humour: “If we really are talking about the people who fly our supersonic jet fighter bombers, then I’m inclined to think that Tunnock’s Tea Cakes wouldn’t be the highest thing on their list of worries, but I’m glad to hear that they can now enjoy them, like everybody else, with official approval.”
With science on its side, the Scottish delicacy can finally reclaim its seat in the cockpit – intact, fully wrapped, and ready for take-off!
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