LAX food workers file Cal/OSHA complaint over maggots, mold

Workers at the Flying Food Group catering facility that serves Los Angeles International Airport filed a Cal/OSHA complaint through UNITE HERE Local 11. The filing alleges that employees were forced to work in extreme heat while handling food contaminated with maggots, mold, cockroaches and other vermin. Workers say they were not provided masks or respirators and that restrooms and hand‑washing stations often lacked soap and paper towels. One employee reported stomach pain, a headache and a strange nasal sensation after cleaning a dish covered in decomposing food.

The complaint, submitted in late June, was highlighted in statements from union co‑president Susan Minato and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who said she takes the allegations "very seriously" and urged an immediate investigation.