Employees at an airline catering facility located next to Los Angeles International Airport have filed a safety complaint alleging exposure to maggots, mold, cockroaches, and other vermin while they work to prepare food.
Facility Conditions
The award-winning Flying Food Group has 19 catering facilities across the United States, preparing 120 million meals annually for more than 75 airlines. This is the latest in a series of complaints raised against its Inglewood branch.
According to the complaint, in late June 2026, an employee was allegedly ordered to open airline dish carts that had been left unopened inside the facility for an extended period of time. She discovered decomposing food that appeared to be covered in mold, maggots, and flies. The worker alleges that when she suggested discarding the dishes, she was ordered by her supervisor to clean the dishes for reuse on an upcoming flight. She says she was not offered a mask or respirator to protect herself while handling the noxious material.
The complaint alleges that, inside these facilities responsible for preparing thousands of meals for airlines at nearby LAX, workers have reported seeing what they believed to be cockroaches and other vermin, including in food preparation areas and near airline food carts.
Response and Investigation
When contacted, Flying Food Group said, “We are aware of the allegations that have been made regarding conditions at our facility.” They added, “We are conducting a thorough review of the allegations and are cooperating with the appropriate regulatory authorities.”
The union has submitted photographs, videos, and worker testimony to Cal/OSHA, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and is urging state inspectors to investigate.
The complaint also alleges dangerously high temperatures in the facility’s dish room, where dishes are sanitized, and cites Flying Food Group’s LAX operations’ lengthy record of alleged safety violations.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
