THE COUNTRY AND WHILE A FORMER WORKER SAYS YOU SHOULD BE
CAREFUL BEFORE ORDERING THAT
NEXT AIRPLANE MEAL.
>> SO MANY OPTIONS AT 30,000
FEET.
FEET. HUMMUS.
HUMMUS. SANDWICHES.
SANDWICHES. HOT MEALS.
HOT MEALS. BUT SKY HIGH DINING CAN BE
RISKY.
RISKY. >> ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE
WAY THROUGH THE FLIGHT, I START
FEELING REALLY BAD.
>> FREQUENT FLYER JASON ALDERMAN
SAYS HE GOT FOOD POISONING AFTER
EATING DUCK RAVE OLIE ON A
FLIGHT LAST YEAR.
>> THE MOST SICKNESS I HAVE EVER
HAD.
HAD. >> HE TOLD THE AIRLINE AND FILED
A COMPLAINT WITH THE LOCAL
HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THEN
NOTHING.
NOTHING. >> IT FEELS LIKE NOBODY WAS
CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY AND IT
FEELS LIKE THINGS LIKE THIS CAN
BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >> THE CDC SAYS ABOUT 48 MILLION
AMERICANS GET FOOD POISONING
EACH YEAR.
EACH YEAR. BUT HOW MANY CASES FROM AIRPLANE
FOOD?
FOOD? EXPERTS SAY IT IS HARD TO TRACK
BECAUSE PASSENGERS MIGHT NOT GET
SICK RIGHT AWAY AND THEN SCATTER
TO DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS.
SO JUST HOW SAFE IS THIS FOOD?
NBC NEWS LOOKED THROUGH MORE
THAN A THOUSAND PAGES OF FDA
INSPECTION REPORTS, FOR THREE
MAJOR AIRLINE CATERING COMPANIES
SINCE 2012.
SINCE 2012. WE FOUND FOOD SAFETY VIOLATIONS
THAT MIGHT MAKE YOUR STOMACH
TURN.
TURN. AT LSG SKY CHEFS, FLIES,
RODENTS, DEAD ROACHES, DIRTY
PANS AND UTENSILS MARKED AS
CLEAN, AND LIQUID DRIPPING FROM
RAW BACON ON TO COOKED BACON.
AT GATE GOURMET, DUSTY FANS
BLOWING AIR ON TO UNCOVERED FOOD
AND DRY FOOD DEBRIS ON CUTTING
BOARDS.
BOARDS. A LIVE BIRD INSIDE ONE FACILITY.
AND TWO INSTANCES OF LISTERIA.
>> THE PUBLIC IS AT RISK.
>> FOOD SAFETY EXPERT ROY COSTA
IS A FORMER GOVERNMENT FOOD
INSPECTOR WITH 40 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. >> HOW CAN THESE TYPES OF
VIOLATIONS MAKE PEOPLE SICK?
>> BY EITHER ALLOWING THE
BACTERIA TO GROW, OR BY ALLOWING
THE BACTERIA TO GET ON THE FOOD.
AND THEN SURVIVE TO THE
CUSTOMER.
CUSTOMER. >> Reporter: ANOTHER CONCERN,
HOW DO FOODS GET DELIVERED.
>> THERES WERE WERE ABOUT NINE
FLIGHTS A DAY THAT YOU WERE
PUTTING FOOD ON THE AIRPLANE.
>> PRINCE, WHO ASKED US NOT TO
USE HIS LAST NAME IS A FORMER
TRUCKLOADER FOR LSG SKY CHEF,
THE WORKER’S UNION NOW IN
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS BROUGHT
HIM TO NEW YORK TO SPEAK WITH
US.
US. >> IT IS REALLY CLOSE TO CLOSE
THE TRUCK, SO NO IDEA IF THE
FOOD WAS SAFE.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS ONCE THE
FOOD LEFT THE FACILITY, IT WAS
ONLY COOLED BY DRY ICE.
>> DID YOU EVER SEE THE DRY ICE
EVAPORATE?
EVAPORATE? >> YES, MANY TIMES BECAUSE IT IS
VERY HARD, LIKE THE DRY ICE IS
LIKE A GAS, IF YOU LEAVE IT, IN
A COUPLE OF MINUTES, IT CAN
DISAPPEAR.
DISAPPEAR. >> FROM THE TIME THE FOOD IS ON
THE TRUCK TO THE TIME IT GETS
PUT ON THE AIRPLANE, HOW MUCH
TIME HAS GONE BY?
>> TWO HOURS AND A HALF OR THREE
HOURS TO PUT THE FOOD IN THE
PLANE.
PLANE. >> HOW DO YOU THINK PASSENGERS
WOULD REACT KNOWING WHAT YOU
KNOW.
KNOW. >> I WOULDN’T EAT ANYTHING ON
THE PLANE.
THE PLANE. >> THE COMPANIES TOLD US THEY
ARE COMMITTED TO THE HIGHEST
FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS AND COMPLY
WITH THE LATEST REGULATIONS AND
TAKE ACTION ANY TIME AN ISSUE IS
IDENTIFIED.
IDENTIFIED. FLYING FOOD GROUP AND GATE
GOURMET SAYS THEY HAVE MADE
INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE FOOD
SAFETY.
SAFETY. THE FDA REQUIRES INSPECTIONS
EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND
TELLS US FACILITIES ARE ALSO
OFTEN INSPECTED BY STATE AND
LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES. BUT FOR FREQUENT FLYERS LIKE
JASON, THE TAKE-AWAY BEFORE
TAKING OFF.
TAKING OFF. >> I WILL GRAB SOMETHING AT THE
AIRPORT.
AIRPORT. I WILL EAT THE PRETZELS OR GO
HUNGRY.
HUNGRY. >> FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS SAY THE
NUMBER ONE TO AVOID IS SEAFOOD
AND DELI FOODS, VEGGIES AND
DAIRY FOOTS, ANDDAIRY FOODS, AND
THEY CAN MAKE YOU SICK IF THEY
HAVE NOT BEEN HANDLED SAFELY.