Delta Forces to Cancel All In-Flight Meals Over Huge Safety Issue

Hundreds of Delta flights have been forced to cancel their in-flight meals after a massive safety issue was revealed.

And huge changes are being made by the company to ensure food is safe in the future.

At a glance:

  • Delta canceled meal services on over 200 flights from Detroit after an FDA inspection flagged a food safety issue in the catering facility.
  • Passengers were provided with Panera Bread sandwiches and 2,500 SkyMiles as compensation.
  • The airline faced prior complaints about food safety, including moldy meals served on a July flight from Detroit to Amsterdam.

Delta Airlines was forced to cancel in-flight meal services on more than 200 flights departing from Detroit Metropolitan Airport after a routine FDA inspection found food safety issues at the airline’s catering facility. While Delta has not revealed specific details about the violations, the airline voluntarily shut down the kitchen, managed by their food catering partner Do&Co, in response to the inspection. An FDA report with more information is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Delta’s decision to halt meal service affected numerous passengers, who were instead provided with sandwiches from Panera Bread and offered 2,500 SkyMiles as compensation. The cancellation impacted flights that would normally serve hot meals, typically provided on routes over 900 miles, with full meal service on flights over 2,300 miles.

This is not the first time Delta’s food service has faced scrutiny. In July, a flight from Detroit to Amsterdam made an emergency landing in New York after passengers fell ill from moldy chicken served on board. Photos showed black mold growing on the meals, prompting medical intervention when the plane landed at JFK. The incident led to several passengers and crew members requiring medical attention.

Further concerns were raised earlier this year when a passenger shared an image of a moldy egg sandwich served on a Delta flight from Honolulu to Detroit. These repeated food safety issues have prompted increased attention to Delta’s catering operations.

Delta assured passengers that meal service would be restored once the necessary safety precautions were in place. For the time being, the airline will manage hot food provisioning from other facilities as they address the concerns raised by the FDA.