Talk about a plain meal.
After “spoiled” meals on a Delta Airlines flight forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at JFK International Airport on Wednesday, the carrier is sticking to pasta only for many of its international flights, CNBC reported.
An estimated 70 people on the trip from Detroit to Amsterdam fell ill from the tainted food, which contained black mold, sources told The Post.
The Delta route had a flight last winter during which maggots shockingly fell onto passengers.
In the wake of this week’s gag-worthy incident, about 75 international flights on Wednesday and a similar number on Thursday were served only the Italian favorite.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams have proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights,” a company spokeswoman told CNBC.
Exactly how prevalent are foodborne diseases on planes? A 2007 research paper said that while incidents are “quite uncommon in the modern era,” it would be “impossible to estimate the true burden of disease.”
On top of that, while the Food and Drug Administration requires inspections of airline caterers — with as many as 22 severe safety problems per visit — penalties are rarely given, according to NBC News.
That’s despite reports in recent years of dangerous bacteria such as Listeria monocytogene being found during the testing of some airline caterers.
“Oh, it’s negligent,” Roy Costa, an environmental health inspector, told the outlet. “What you see here is a repeated pattern where they’re not following the rules … It’s very, very clear that they have a potential risk.”
The FDA only looks at the caterers behind airlines about every three to five years. They are also commonly exempt from the agency’s food code and safety rules, allowing fewer inspections “when time and opportunity allow,” according to an agency manual.
Perhaps adding insult to injury, Gate Gourmet, a caterer doing business with Delta and other airlines, may strike at the end of the month.
The walkout could occur as soon as July 30.
