A LAX airline caterer is under scrutiny after workers alleged they encountered maggots, cockroaches, flies and mold inside facilities where meals are prepared for airline passengers.
The allegations involve Flying Food Group, which provides in-flight catering for a number of international airlines at LAX. A complaint filed with California workplace safety regulators has triggered an investigation that remains open. Flying Food Group strongly disputes the allegations and says the claims do not accurately represent conditions at its facilities.
Workers Say They Found Maggots on Airline Dishes
The complaint was filed by UNITE HERE Local 11 on behalf of workers in August. According to the complaint, a longtime employee opened airline dish carts that had reportedly been sitting unused for an extended period and found dishes covered with decomposing food along with what appeared to be mold, maggots and flies. The worker was allegedly instructed to clean the dishes because they were needed for an upcoming flight. The union published details of the complaint on the UNITE HERE Local 11 website
Other allegations described mold in the dishwashing area, inadequate handwashing supplies and what workers said were cockroaches or similar vermin in the kitchen. The complaint does not establish that those conditions were present throughout the facility, and regulators have not yet released findings confirming the allegations.
Cal/OSHA Investigation Remains Open
Federal OSHA’s public inspection database shows a complaint-based inspection involving Flying Food Group’s Los Angeles operation was opened on August 10. The case is currently listed as open, with the inspection classified as partial. The inspection record can be viewed through the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA database
Cal/OSHA also told SFGATE last week that there were no records it could publicly disclose because the investigation was still underway. That distinction matters. The photographs, worker accounts and union complaint have drawn attention, but an investigation is not the same thing as a finding that the allegations are true.
Flying Food Group Disputes the Allegations
Flying Food Group has pushed back strongly. A company spokesperson told SFGATE that it “categorically reject[s]” the narrative surrounding the complaint and said the company believes images submitted in connection with the allegations were staged, manipulated or presented without proper context. SFGATE’s report on the ongoing dispute and investigation includes the company’s response to the allegations.
The company has also pointed to a long-running and contentious labor dispute with UNITE HERE Local 11. Flying Food Group says it stands behind its food safety and sanitation practices and will cooperate with regulatory reviews.
LAX Airline Caterer Serves Major International Airlines
Flying Food Group operates catering facilities around the country and prepares meals for numerous international carriers. At LAX, the union lists airlines served by the company including Air France, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA, Qantas and Air New Zealand, among others.
The controversy is drawing additional attention because Los Angeles World Airports recently gave the caterer a six-month extension rather than its usual longer-term licensing arrangement while the airport authority continued reviewing the company’s compliance record. The current extension runs through the end of 2026, according to the union and recent reporting.
What Happens Next
For now, the most important unanswered question is what inspectors actually find. The public OSHA record still shows the complaint inspection as open, and no final findings related to the latest maggot, mold and cockroach allegations have been published.
That means passengers should be careful about drawing conclusions from some of the more alarming images circulating with the story. The allegations are serious and involve a company preparing food for LAX flights, but they remain disputed allegations while the investigation continues. PestMarket will update this story if regulators release findings.
For more information about cockroaches and how they enter and survive inside buildings, visit the PestMarket Cockroach Guide.