Needles in you airline food? It’s unfortunate that with everything else an airline passenger must worry about, eating a sandwich now tops the list.
In a story that reminds one of a Halloween/trick-or-treat urban legend, four separate Delta flights housed sandwiches spiked with needles which caused injury to two people. The FBI is now investigating the supplier of the sandwiches, Gate Gourmet, a U.S. company based out of an Amsterdam airport. A flight from Amsterdam to St. Paul on Sunday held two passengers who suffered injuries when they bit into their food and were struck by the needles; customs and border patrol found a third needle on that flight in an unwrapped sandwich.
A separate flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta also had the tainted sandwiches on board, and a teenager was the victim that time. He refused to turn over the needle to officials, saying he wanted it as proof for a lawsuit. Coincidentally, his father was one of the victims on the St. Paul flight. Investigators were able to find needles on two additional flights, as well.
With the FBI involved, it’s likely the culprit will be tracked down fairly quickly. Delta is already doing damage control, issuing a statement about the incidents:
“Delta is taking this matter extremely seriously and is cooperating with local and federal authorities who are investigating the incident,” spokeswoman Kristin Bauer said. “Delta has taken immediate action with our in-flight caterer at Amsterdam to ensure the safety and quality of the food we provide onboard our aircraft.”
