Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies


"What's the deal with airplane food?" has been the punchline of jokes for years, but recent events indicate that there may be more issues with food in the skies than just the taste. A series of reports throughout 2024 have highlighted a growing problem within the aviation industry: food safety aboard airplanes.
There have been alleged incidents that include rodents, insects and a slew of food poisoning. While federal agencies work to monitor airplane food, experts say that not everything is as it seems.
What incidents have occurred with airplane food?
In the past year, Delta passengers on a flight from Detroit to Amsterdam were "served spoiled meals from a Do & Co kitchen," and the "allegedly moldy chicken sickened more than a dozen fliers," said The Washington Post. Months later, an Air India passenger posted a video on X that appeared to show a dead cockroach in her omelet; The airline confirmed to Fox Business that the incident occurred but had no further comment.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That same month, a "mouse scampered out of a meal on a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Norway to Spain and scurried off," said the Post. Other incidents include alleged cases of E. coli on Delta and "reports of unsanitary practices by a caterer that provides meals for British Airways."
Why is this happening?
Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, regulations "changed what types of cooking knives crews can work with in the air," so airlines "have long looked for ways to cut food production costs and reduce meal preparation times for flight attendants on board," said CNN. This is a far cry from the days of old, when meals were "prepared in four simultaneously operating galleys, where dishes can be cooked in five-minute ovens," stated a 1958 Pan Am commercial.
The bigger issue, though, is that the "confined nature of airplane travel makes foodborne illness outbreaks especially challenging to manage," Darin Detwiler, a food safety adviser at Northeastern University, said to the Post. The FDA requires inspections at least every three years for airline catering facilities, and the agency "has written up two of the industry's largest catering companies, LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet," the Post reported. This reportedly included problems with temperature control, pests and cross-contamination, all of which can contribute to illnesses.
And "unlike restaurant food, which is hastily delivered to tables, in-flight meals can sit for hours before being consumed," said the Post. If airline meals are kept improperly, then "people can become infected with pathogens when food is not cooked, cooled, reheated and/or stored at the correct temperature, Carlota Medus, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Public Health, said to the Post.
What should you do on your next flight?
There are certain precautions that can be taken when choosing airplane food. This includes "avoiding raw seafood and undercooked food on planes, as well as anything that needs to be kept cold," doctor Jen Dunphy said to Yahoo!. However, Dunphy also reiterated that food on airplanes, despite these recent events, is "generally safe and is regulated" by the FDA. But inspections do not occur that regularly.
Items like pasta "may be a better choice than dishes that contain meat," food safety adviser Darin Detwiler said to Food & Wine. But the only surefire way to avoid sickness from airplane food is not to eat it. For people "who are concerned about food safety while traveling, they could consider bringing shelf-stable snacks for the plane like granola bars, trail mix and nuts," food safety expert Ellen Shumaker said to Food & Wine.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
June 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Thursday's political cartoons include a presidential get-out-of-jail-free card, masked ICE agents, and the Tooth Fairy's message for Senator Joni Ernst
-
Selling sex: why investors are wary of OnlyFans despite record profits
In The Spotlight The platform that revolutionised pornography is for sale – but its value is limited unless it can diversify
-
Garsington Opera opens its summer festival with two 'very different productions'
The Week Recommends A 'fabulous' new staging of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and Donizetti's fake-love-potion comedy L'elisir d'amore
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
Critics' choice: Steak houses that break from tradition
Feature Eight hours of slow-roasting prime rib, a 41-ounce steak, and a former Catholic school chapel turned steakhouse
-
America's favorite fast food restaurants
The Explainer There are different ways of thinking about how Americans define how they most like to spend their money on burgers, tacos and fried chicken
-
Bomee Ki's Kugelhopf madeleines recipe
The Week Recommends Fluffy, sweet sponge cakes with a zesty, rum twist
-
Your inner romper is going to wild out at these 7 adult summer camps
The Week Recommends You're never too old to go back to camp
-
Ozempic and its brethren are running headlong into American dining and dieting culture
In the Spotlight Some restaurants are feeling the burn. So are beauty expectations.
-
The best lemon pepper wings in Atlanta
Feature Marinated turkey wings, a Korean barbecue sauce combo and an off-menu staple
-
Get a taste of place at these regional US restaurant chains
The Week Recommends Eat where the locals do