Union alleges mold, maggots and cockroaches at LAX airline catering plant
A union complaint to Cal/OSHA says Flying Food Group's Inglewood facility, which supplies meals to LAX airlines, is plagued by moldy dishes, live maggots and cockroaches, prompting regulatory scrutiny.
A grievance submitted by Unite Here Local 11 to Cal/OSHA alleges that Flying Food Group’s Inglewood catering plant, which prepares in-flight meals for carriers such as Lufthansa and Air New Zealand at Los Angeles International Airport, is riddled with unsanitary conditions, including dishes covered in green mold, live maggots, flies and cockroaches. The complaint cites a dishwasher, Sonia Cerón, who in late June was told to clean a cart left unopened for weeks, found dozens of mold-infested dishes, inhaled the spores, and experienced stomach pain, headache and nasal irritation without receiving masks or other protective equipment.
The union says the facility repeatedly endangers workers, while the company asserts the photographs were manipulated, denies the claims and says it will fully cooperate with any inspection. This allegation follows a pattern of disputes: Cal/OSHA fined the firm $11,000 in 2023 for blocked exits, the NLRB found illegal door-blocking and intimidation in 2024, and the company settled wage and harassment cases in recent years.
LAWA officials indicated that Cal/OSHA will adjudicate any health-safety violations and reminded Flying Food Group of its obligations under the airport’s contractor responsibility program. The licensing board extended the company’s operating permit for six months but did not flag it as at risk, and airport officials have not commented further on the investigation.
Why it matters
Unsanitary conditions at a major airport food provider raise health risks for workers and passengers and highlight ongoing labor disputes.
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