The perceived lack of quality of airline food has provided ample fodder for comedians, but a new report shows that the problem might actually be quite serious.
20/20 recently filed a Freedom of Information Act request in order to get records from the Food and Drug Administration pertaining to health violations that may have occurred on airlines. They discovered that, over the past four years, 1,500 violations were reported to the agency, and the prevalence of violations that suggest a significant issue were heightened when compared with other industries.
Some incidents stemmed from alleged violations which took place at facilities run by LSG Sky Chefs, a company responsible for providing food to many different airlines. The FDA was able to identify roaches purportedly crawling over numerous surfaces at a plant. In addition, dead and living flies were reportedly were detailed, as was the presence of discarded food that had ants wandering over its surface.
Another supplier, Gate Gourmet, reportedly had food that wasn’t properly refrigerated, gnats, roaches and more. But incidents aren’t limited to food suppliers; even airlines have had reported violations. Delta, for instance, had planes that the FDA says likely contained mice.
Each of the companies mentioned above, it should be noted, stated that they made a concerted effort to correct any issues. Still, for consumers out there, it’s imperative that you make sure your food is safe, whether in the air or on the ground. And if you experience an adverse event, consult a doctor and report what happened to the necessary health officials.