Airline food could cause illness as the grub served up on some of the world’s biggest airlines is prepared in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, according to a report in USA Today.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors found food stored at incorrect temperatures, unclean equipment and mice, cockroaches and evidence of other pests in the US kitchens of two of the world’s biggest airline caterers, Gate Gourmet and LSG Sky Chefs, and at another large caterer, Flying Food Group.
They also claimed workers in some of the kitchens suffered from poor personal hygiene.
Between them, the three caterers operate 91 kitchens preparing 100 million meals a year for US and foreign airlines at US airports. They provide meals for most of the major airlines, including US giants American, Continental, Delta, United and US Airways.
The FDA said inflight catering was getting worse and, according to a public health official quoted in USA Today, ‘posed a real risk of illness and injury to tens of thousands of airline passengers on a daily basis’.
The three caterers and airlines said food was monitored and they each have their own multi-layered quality control standards in place.
