An airline catering company that supplies in-flight meals to at least 15 carriers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is under scrutiny due to allegations of poor hygiene and working conditions. In a complaint against Flying Food Group (FFG) submitted by union UNITE HERE Local 11, workers alleged they were exposed to maggots, mold, cockroaches and excessive heat inside the company’s kitchens.

While no passenger illness or contaminated meal has been traced to the claims, the complaint outlines alarming details of poor conditions in the catering facility, which supplies meals for more than a dozen leading international carriers, including Air France, Lufthansa, Qantas and Virgin Atlantic.

LAX Caterer Faces Hygiene Probe

Credit: UNITE HERE Local 11

The complaint was filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) on August 5 by UNITE HERE Local 11, alleging several violations by catering company FFG, which it claims “has a record of violating worker safety protections.” One of the key allegations involves an incident on June 23, when a dishroom employee was assigned to open airline dish carts that had sat unopened for an extended period. She discovered dozens of dishes with “decomposing, mold-covered food,” many of which contained “live maggots and flies.”

After requesting that the dishes be disposed of, a supervisor refused, stating that the dishes were required for another upcoming flight. The worker was told to put the dishes through a cleaning machine without sufficient protective equipment, like a mask, and later reported “stomach pain, a headache, and a strange sensation in her nose,” possibly as a result of inhaling mold. The filing adds that at least three workers have reported seeing “cockroach or similar vermin” in the kitchens.

One worker even claimed there was an area of the dishwashing room where used carts would be left and “go unwashed for days or even weeks,” while other complaints include a lack of handwashing supplies, and serving leftover or expired food for company staff. Hygiene is not the only alleged violation either, with workers complaining of extreme humidity and heat in the dishwashing room. FFG has rejected the allegations, telling People:

“We categorically reject the false and misleading narrative surrounding the recent Cal/OSHA complaint filed by UNITE HERE, Local 11. The complaint does not accurately describe conditions at our facility. We stand firmly behind our food safety and sanitation standards and will cooperate fully with any regulatory review.”

Company Provides Meals For At Least 15 Airlines

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UNITE HERE Local 11 lists 15 airlines supplied by FFG, the majority of which are European and Asian international carriers, while Hawaiian Airlines is the only US-based carrier named. The airlines named by the union are in the table below:

Across the US, FFG operates 19 catering facilities and provides roughly 120 million meals annually for more than 75 airlines. LAX is one of FFG’s largest markets, with the company consolidating two separate kitchens into a single 100,000 square-foot facility there in December 2019.

Airport Catering License Expires In December

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Companies operating airside at LAX require a Certified Service Provider License issued by the City of Los Angeles, and permits are usually granted for five-year terms. However, FFG is currently on a six-month probationary term after recently facing six citations and penalties totaling $74,000 for workplace violations.

This means the company’s permit is due to expire in December, and the latest allegations may complicate its efforts for a renewal. Should it fail to get a new permit, this would leave at least 15 airlines without a catering supplier, forcing them to find alternatives. Other catering companies working at LAX include Gate Gourmet, LSG Sky Chefs and Air Fayre. However, there is no guarantee these companies would be able to meet the full demand of multiple new customers in such a short space of time.