Maggots and Mold Found at Major LAX Airline Caterer

LOS ANGELES - Here's something that might make you reconsider your next inflight meal: workers at Flying Food Group, one of the major airline catering operations serving Los Angeles International Airport, have filed a 16-page complaint with California's workplace safety agency alleging they found mold, maggots, flies, and cockroaches around food preparation areas; and that when one employee discovered decomposing food covered in live maggots, a supervisor allegedly told her to clean the dishes and send them out on a flight anyway. According to CNN, the complaint was filed with Cal/OSHA by UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing workers at the facility. The allegations center on an incident that occurred on June 23, 2026, when a dish-room employee opened airline meal carts that had apparently been sitting unopened for an extended period.

What Workers Say They Found

The complaint alleges the worker discovered decomposing food that appeared to be covered in mold, maggots, and flies, CNN reported. Rather than discarding the contaminated dishes, the worker says a supervisor instructed her to clean them for use on an upcoming flight. She was not given a mask or any respiratory protection while handling the material, according to the complaint, and later reported stomach pain, headache, and nasal discomfort. That's not all. The complaint also describes black mold growing across the ceiling of the dish room, cockroaches in food preparation areas and near airline food carts, and what workers characterize as pervasive sanitation failures at the facility. Flying Food Group told CNN it was aware of the allegations. "We are conducting a thorough review of the allegations and are cooperating with the appropriate regulatory authorities," the company said.

Which Airlines Are Affected?

This matters beyond worker safety because Flying Food Group prepares meals for a who's who of international carriers operating out of LAX. According to CNN, the company serves Lufthansa, Air France, SWISS, Virgin Atlantic, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA, Starlux, China Southern, Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Hawaiian Airlines. To be clear, there's no evidence that any passenger became sick from food prepared at the facility, and no specific inflight meal has been shown to have been contaminated. But the allegations do raise the uncomfortable question of what sanitation standards look like behind the scenes at airline catering operations, particularly when those operations are under financial or labor pressure.

Flying Food Group Already Under Scrutiny

Cal/OSHA has already cited Flying Food Group this year for separate workplace safety violations at its two LAX-area facilities, with $74,000 in proposed penalties, CNN reported. The union submitted photographs, videos, and worker testimony as part of its latest complaint, and is pushing for a full investigation. It's worth noting that Flying Food Group and UNITE HERE Local 11 have been in a contentious labor dispute since their contract expired in 2022. That doesn't mean the allegations aren't credible; it does mean the complaint arrives in the middle of ongoing negotiations, and both sides have reasons to frame the story in particular ways. Workers and the union describe a facility with serious sanitation failures that pose risks to employees and potentially to airline passengers. The company, for its part, says it's reviewing the matter and cooperating with regulators.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Airline Catering

Most travelers don't think much about where their inflight meal comes from or what the prep facilities look like. But airline catering is a high-volume, low-margin business, and corners do get cut. I've covered enough airline news to know that food safety lapses aren't unheard of, especially at contractors working under tight timelines and cost pressures. What makes this complaint particularly troubling is the allegation that contaminated dishes were ordered back into service rather than discarded. If true, that's not just a lapse in housekeeping; it's a decision that could have put passengers at risk. And the fact that Cal/OSHA has already levied penalties this year suggests this may not be an isolated problem. For travelers, there's not much you can do to vet the catering operation behind your next flight. But it's a reminder that the weakest link in airline service is often not the carrier itself, but the third-party contractors it relies on. And when those contractors are squeezed by labor disputes, regulatory scrutiny, and razor-thin margins, something's got to give. You just hope it's not food safety. If you're flying out of LAX on one of the airlines served by Flying Food Group, you might want to pack your own snacks for a while. At least until Cal/OSHA finishes its review.