"Ordered to Reuse Utensils with Maggots and Cockroaches": U.S. In-Flight Catering Workers Expose Airport Facility

Flying Food Group Employees Near Los Angeles International Airport
Report Hygiene and Safety Concerns Directly to Authorities

Workers at the Flying Food Group facility near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the United States have reported concerns about hygiene and safety conditions in their workplace to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Photos of facilities reported by Flying Food Group facility workers. Photo by CNN

According to CNN on August 10 (local time), the Flying Food Group labor union, on behalf of the employees, submitted photos, videos, and testimonies to authorities, reporting that maggots, cockroaches, and mold had been discovered at the facility and requesting an on-site investigation.

The issue arose at the end of June, involving an inflight meal service cart. Workers claimed they were instructed to open a cart that had been left closed and unused for a long period, and upon inspection, they discovered decomposed food, mold, maggots, and flies inside.

During this process, the workers stated that despite the risk of exposure to mold or pests, they were not provided with masks or proper protective equipment. Although they suggested disposing of the affected utensils, a supervisor instructed them to clean the items for reuse on the next flight. There were also accounts of seeing what appeared to be cockroaches in the food preparation area and around the inflight meal carts.

CNN introduced video and photos showing utensils and facility interiors contaminated with mold and flies. This facility prepares inflight meals for airlines using LAX, and Flying Food Group operates 19 facilities across the United States, supplying over 120 million inflight meals annually to more than 75 airlines. Given that safety concerns have repeatedly arisen at this facility in the past, many see the current controversy as more than just a simple hygiene issue.

This is not the first time Flying Food Group’s inflight meal hygiene practices have come under scrutiny. In July of last year, passengers on Delta Air Lines flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam found mold in their food, and several complained of feeling unwell, leading the flight to return to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. At least 12 people received medical attention at that time, and Delta conducted an investigation into the contaminated meal.

In September of last year, a passenger on an Air India flight from Delhi to New York reported finding a foreign substance resembling a cockroach in an omelet served on board. The passenger discovered this after consuming much of the food with a two-year-old child and afterwards reported experiencing symptoms of food poisoning. Air India acknowledged the incident and announced an investigation into the inflight catering company.

Inflight meals are harder to address when issues arise compared to regular restaurants. Once the food has traveled thousands of kilometers at cruising altitude, it becomes difficult to pinpoint the source of contamination on site, and meals from the same facility may be loaded onto multiple flights simultaneously. Therefore, maintaining strict hygiene controls during preparation, storage, and transportation is especially important.

However, final investigation results from the authorities regarding these hygiene concerns have yet to be released. Flying Food Group told CNN it is aware of the reports regarding facility conditions and stated, "We are thoroughly reviewing the raised issues and cooperating with investigations by relevant agencies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.