FDA Warning Letter to LSG SkyChefs (Roaches Everywhere!!!)

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boeing_747_of_lufthansa_at_frankfurt_airport
A 747 of Lufthansa scheduled to Shanghai is serviced by a SkyChefs truck at Frankfurt Airport

Enjoy your meal! Guten Appetit! Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Buon appetito! ???!


LSG SkyChefs DEN 235 12/10/09

Department of Health and Human Services logo
Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service
Food and Drug Administration
Southwest Region
Denver District Office
6′” Ave and Kipling Street
Denver Federal Center. Bldg 20
P O. Box 25087
Denver, CO 80225-0087
Telephone 303-236-3000
FAX: 303·236-3100

December 10, 2009
Ref#: DEN-10-04 WL

WARNING LETTER AND NOTICE OF PROVISIONAL STATUS


VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Ms. Sondra Lehman
Chief Operating Officer
North American Region
LSG SkyChefs
6191 N. State Highway 161
Irving, Texas 75038

Dear Ms. Lehman:

This letter serves as your formal notification that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has changed the classification of your airline catering facility from “Approved” to “Provisional.” Your airline customers will be notified of this change in classification. Between September 17 and October 6, 2009, FDA conducted an inspection of your airline catering facility located at 27280 E. 75th Avenue, Denver, Colorado. This comprehensive inspection was conducted under the authority of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) to determine your compliance with applicable sections of the Interstate Conveyance Sanitation regulations (21 CFR Part 1250). These regulations were promulgated pursuant to Section 361 of the PHS Act (42 USC § 264). Regulations promulgated under this section are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases. This inspection revealed significant deviations from 21 CFR Part 1250, under the PHS Act. Based on these findings, your airline catering facility is classified as “Provisional.”

At the conclusion of the inspection, on October 6, 2009, the FDA investigator issued a list of Inspectional Ohservations (FDA-483) to your firm. As documented on this form (copy enclosed), the following are the significant violations at your airline catering facility on which we base the “Provisional” classification:

• To comply with 21 CFR 1250.30(a), all places where food is prepared, served, or stored must be constructed and maintained as to be clean and free from flies and other vermin. However, our investigators observed numerous live roaches, dead roaches, and other insects, as well as food, and other debris, in various locations, including the following:

• 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

• To comply with 21 CFR 1250.32(a), all food-handling operations must be accomplished so as to minimize the possibility of contaminating food, drink, or utensils. However, our investigators observed the following:

• Employees handling food with bare hands or with unwashed gloved hands
• Water dripping from the ceiling into equipment/utensil cleaning areas
• Gaps from 1-2.5 inches under garbage room doors, receiving dock doors, and outbound dock area doors
• Standing water in the garbage room
• Accumulation of debris in various areas such as in the ice pit, dairy cooler, dish machine area, and automatic cart wash area
• Holes in wall surfaces, creating areas for insect and vermin harborage
• Debris and standing liquid inside the automatic cart wash machine

• To comply with 21 CFR 1250.33(c), after bactericidal treatment, utensils must be stored and handled in such a manner as to prevent contamination before reuse. However, our investigators observed wet containers in nested stacks in the pots and pans ware-washing room and in the bot kitchen areas. Leaving containers stacked in a wet condition promotes the growing of bacteria, which could lead to contamination of your finished product.

• To comply with 21 CFR 1250.30(d), all plumbing must be designed, installed, and maintained so as to prevent contamination of the water supply, food, and food utensils.
However, our investigators observed water hoses stored with nozzles resting on the floor.

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