By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-12 15:47:05 | Updated at 2026-08-12 19:23:29
3 hours ago
Staff at an airline catering company have filed a safety complaint over alleged exposure to 'maggots, mould and cockroaches' inside facilities used to prepare meals for flights.
Workers at the Flying Food Group, which prepares around 120 million meals a year for more than 75 airlines, have complained to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), urging inspection of the site at the company's Inglewood branch.
The company provides in-flight meals for international airlines flying out of LAX such as Lufthansa, Air France, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic has used Flying Food Group for in-flight catering at LAX since June 17, 2025.
Flying Food Group said it 'categorically' rejects the 'false and misleading narrative' surrounding the complaint, which has been filed on behalf of workers by the UNITE HERE Local 11 trade union.
It alleges that employees have been exposed to a range of unsafe conditions.
Workers at the Flying Food Group have complained of mould and maggots. One of the photos submitted by UNITE HERE Local 11 in the complaint, pictured
These include what workers reported to be maggots, mould, and cockroaches – as well as inadequate soap and paper towels and excessive heat – inside facilities responsible for preparing thousands of airline meals.
According to the complaint, in June 2026 one employee was allegedly ordered to open airline dish carts that had remained unopened for an extended period.
They discovered dishes covered in decomposing food, and what appeared to be mould, maggots, and flies, producing an overwhelming stench.
The worker allegedly suggested the dishes be discarded but was instructed by a supervisor to wash them – as they were required for an upcoming flight.
According to the complaint, the worker – who reported experiencing stomach pain, a headache, and a strange sensation in her nose while handling the noxious material – was not provided a mask or respirator to protect herself.
Workers also allegedly reported seeing what they believed to be cockroaches and other vermin in various parts of the facility, including in food preparation areas, near employee changing stations, near airline food carts and inside the employee cafeteria.
The complaint cites California laws requiring that employers provide a safe workplace and take steps to prevent the entrance or harborage of insects, rodents or other vermin.
Staff at the airline catering company, which prepares around 120 million meals a year, have filed a safety complaint after reportedly finding mould and cockroaches
The complaint also says bathrooms and handwashing stations often lacked adequate soap or paper towels, forcing employees to search elsewhere before returning to prepare food.
Additionally, it raises concerns about the quality of food served to workers at the facility, including allegations of expired or stale bread, food contaminated by debris, and improperly stored food.
The complaint also describes dangerously high temperatures in the facility's dish room.
One employee reported that the heat and humidity regularly made the room feel like 'being in a sauna', allegedly causing fatigue, dehydration, and headaches – and a coworker reportedly nearly fainted from the heat.
According to the complaint, management had been made aware of the problem but not provided a solution.
'No one should have to work around maggots, cockroaches, mould, and rotting food just to earn a paycheck, as this complaint alleges,' said Susan Minato, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, which represents the workers.
Many airlines operating from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) use the catering service
'The workers who prepare meals for airline passengers deserve a workplace that meets the most basic standards of cleanliness and safety. We ask Cal/OSHA to take these issues seriously and investigate immediately.'
Flying Food Group's LAX operations have a long record of alleged safety violations.
Most recently, in May 2026, Cal/OSHA issued the company six citations, including four it termed 'Serious'.
Two of the serious violations related to the company's failure to ensure that cold storage rooms at two LAX facilities could be utilised safely and opened from the inside.
LAX authorities recently gave Flying Food Group only a six-month extension – terminating at the end of 2026 – to its licence to operate at LAX. The city has launched an investigation into the company's safety and labor practices.
Flying Food Group is reviewing the allegations contained in the August 2026 Cal/OSHA complaint and has told Virgin Atlantic that the allegations remain unverified.
In a statement, Flying Food Group said: '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. Flying Food Group (“FFG”) has been engaged in protracted and contentious negotiations with UNITE HERE, Local 11 since 2022.
'The photographs cited in the reporting do not accurately depict conditions at our facility. Our review indicates that the images were staged, manipulated, taken out of context, or otherwise presented in a manner that distorts their meaning. We are reviewing how they were created, selected, and presented.
'We stand firmly behind our food safety and sanitation standards and will cooperate fully with any regulatory review.'
While Virgin Atlantic has used the catering company, a spokesman said there is currently no evidence that catering supplied to Virgin Atlantic has been affected
Based on the information currently available, Virgin Atlantic has no evidence that catering supplied for its customers has been compromised. Virgin Atlantic remains in close contact with Flying Food Group while its review is ongoing.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesman said: 'We're aware of the allegations concerning Flying Food Group and are taking them seriously.
'We're in close contact with the supplier and, based on the information available to us, there is currently no evidence that catering supplied to Virgin Atlantic has been affected.
'The safety and wellbeing of our customers and our people is always our top priority, and we'll continue to closely monitor the situation as the supplier's review progresses.'
