More than 200 Delta flights out of Detroit Metro Airport were forced to cancel in-flight meal service over the weekend after the Food and Drug Administration ordered the airline to shut down its food prep facility due to health concerns.
FDA officials were conducting a routine inspection at the kitchen of Delta’s catering partner when they discovered a “food safety issue” on Friday, the airline said, without divulging further.
“Delta and its catering partner immediately shut down hot food production and subsequently suspended all activity from the facility,” the airline said in a statement.
No customers or employees were sickened, the airline said.
The cause of the food safety issue “has yet to be officially determined,” a Delta spokesman told The Post on Tuesday — but the airline said it is now changing how it prepares both hot and cold food in order to restore meal service on flights.
“Hot food and other onboard provisioning will be managed from other facilities,” Delta said, adding that “we will continue to take necessary precautions to ensure food safety.”
Between Friday and Sunday, passengers on more than 200 Delta flights out of Detroit were denied meal service, CBS News reported.
Delta offers hot meals to all passengers on long-haul international flights. Delta One or first-class passengers on certain domestic coast-to-coast flights can also get hot food, according to the airline’s website.
Passengers who didn’t receive hot meal service were provided travel vouchers or frequent flier miles, the spokesperson said.
The Post has reached out to the FDA for additional information.
In July, an Amsterdam-bound flight from Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing at New York City’s JFK Airport when dozens of passengers became sick after they were served moldy chicken.
The situation was so severe that the plane made a U-turn to JFK after making it as far east as Newfoundland, flight data showed.
Delta confirmed “reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service was spoiled” in a statement at the time.