UNITE HERE Local 11 Files CalOSHA Complaint Against Flying Food Group Over LAX Hygiene
UNITE HERE Local 11 has filed a comprehensive complaint with CalOSHA against Flying Food Group, alleging severe health and safety breaches at its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) catering facilities. The union details instances of mould, maggots, and cockroaches near food preparation areas, alongside claims of broken equipment and inadequate sanitation impacting workers and potentially airline meals.
Union Alleges Decomposing Food on Dishes for Airline Meals
UNITE HERE Local 11, representing workers at Flying Food Group, has submitted a 16-page complaint to CalOSHA, detailing significant hygiene concerns at the company’s Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) catering operations.
The complaint, filed in 2026, centres on allegations of unsanitary conditions that could compromise food safety for numerous airlines, including several Asian carriers.
One specific incident cited occurred on June 23, 2026, when a long-serving dish-room employee at Flying Food Group’s Inglewood kitchen reportedly found an airline cart containing dozens of dishes still holding decomposing food. These bowls were allegedly covered in thick mould, live maggots, and flies.
The employee states that a supervisor refused her request to discard the contaminated dishes, reportedly insisting they were required for an upcoming flight and ordering her to run them through an industrial dishwasher. Flying Food Group has not yet publicly addressed these new allegations.
Widespread Sanitation and Safety Concerns Documented
The union’s complaint extends beyond this single event, detailing a pattern of poor hygiene and unsafe working conditions across Flying Food Group’s central kitchen at 901 W. Hillcrest Boulevard and its warehouse and flight kitchen at 5343 W. Imperial Highway.
Workers describe the presence of cockroaches near food and airline carts, with one worker recording what she believed was a cockroach beside a dish-room trash can on June 24, 2026. Further photographic evidence from December 2025 reportedly shows apparent cockroaches in the kitchen and on a Lufthansa cart.
Other allegations include black growth across the dish-room ceiling, photographed by a union representative on August 3, 2026, which an airline representative on a walkthrough identified as mould.
Additionally, at least four workers claim restrooms and handwashing stations frequently lacked soap or paper towels, and delivery trucks reportedly had broken chillers, leading to increased use of dry ice and associated burn risks for drivers. The union has provided dated photographs, video, and worker accounts to CalOSHA, requesting an expedited on-site inspection.
Employee Health Concerns and Previous Citations
The complaint also highlights several employee health concerns directly linked to the alleged conditions. The worker who handled the decomposing dishes on June 23, 2026, reported stomach pain, a headache, and an unusual sensation in her nose, despite wearing multiple pairs of gloves without a mask.
Dish-room employees describe working in sauna-like conditions due to steam and humidity, leading to headaches, dehydration, and one near-fainting incident. Instances of food contamination are also alleged, including debris falling onto leftover rice from an international flight, with the visibly affected portion removed and the remainder sent to the employee cafeteria.
Another worker claims she suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea for three days after eating expired pork ribs at work, which a chef had reportedly refused to cook.
Flying Food Group has a record of formal safety citations, including a 2015 FDA inspection at its LAX operation that found temperature problems and clutter, and six CalOSHA citations issued on May 20, 2026, with proposed penalties totalling $74,000 across its two LAX-serving facilities.
Implications for Airlines and Passenger Confidence
As of Friday morning, August 8, 2026, Flying Food Group has not issued a public statement regarding the new complaint. The company previously responded to unrelated allegations earlier in 2026 concerning fire and evacuation, stating that exits were not blocked and managers guided workers safely.
Flying Food Group services a wide range of international airlines at LAX, including Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA, Starlux, China Southern, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Air France, SWISS, Virgin Atlantic, Austrian, LOT Polish, SAS, and Hawaiian Airlines.
While no passenger meal has been shown to be contaminated and no passenger illness has been tied to these photos, these allegations raise significant questions about food safety standards for these carriers.
The situation may prompt airlines to review their catering contracts and increase oversight of their suppliers to maintain passenger confidence, particularly for long-haul international flights where in-flight meal quality and safety are paramount.
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