You Might Want to Avoid Connecting in Denver if You are Traveling in United First

I grimaced when I saw this thread on FlyerTalk today:

The FDA has changed the classification of LSG Sky Chefs' Denver facility from "Approved" to "Provisional" based on an inspection that turned up some real stomach turning findings, such as

• Cart wash area - Live and dead roach-like insects too numerous to count (TNTC)
• Silverware station - At least 40 live roaches as well as other insects
• The hot kitchen - At least eight dead and one live roach insects were observed in and around the walls of the hot kitchen
• Repack area - Live roaches (TNTC), as well as ants
• Pots and pans warewashing room - At least four live and dead roaches, flies
• Dish machine wash area - At least 13 dead roaches inside the machine loading area and 31 or more dead nearby the machine
• Wash area - At least four live roaches on walls and floors

The description above is verbatim from the FDA's warning letter to LSG Sky Chefs.

I am surprised to hear this news. LSG is owned and run by Lufthansa, not the kind of company you would associate with cockroaches and ants. Have you ever been on a dirty LH plane before? It appears their catering facilities, at least in DEN, are not up to the same standard.

And my title is a bit misleading: LSG has catering contracts in DEN not only with United, but with Lufthansa (duh), Alaska, American, and Mexicana. Consider yourself warned!

I wouldn't worry too much about this going forward, though. I am confident LH will move quickly to address embarassing problem and insure that it does not happen again.

At the same time, I can't help feeling just a little queasy about my steak dinner from DEN-PHL a couple weeks ago:

Can I blame my pre-Christmas cold on that?