How to Avoid Food Poisoning on a Plane

A Delta Air Lines flight en route to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday after passengers were served what some have described as “moldy” chicken. More than a dozen passengers fell ill after eating the meal, which forced the plane to make an emergency landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after taking off from Detroit. 

CBS News obtained images of the meals, which seem to have obvious mold over the meat. According to CBS, this is the second day in a row that meals have been pulled from the airline. It’s not clear what symptoms sick passengers experienced. “Delta’s Food Safety team continues to investigate the incident,” a Delta Air Lines spokesperson told Food & Wine. 

However, experts say that food safety regulations aren’t the strongest with airline food, making this a broader issue. So, how can you tell if chicken is bad, and what is actually safe to order on a flight? Here’s what food safety experts recommend keeping in mind.

What happens if you eat moldy chicken?

It depends. “The causes of illness may be different depending on the situation,” says Wade Syers, extension specialist for food safety at Michigan State University. “Molds are generally thought of as spoilage organisms—microorganisms that make food look, taste, and smell bad.” But some molds can produce toxic compounds called mycotoxins that can make people sick, says Darin Detwiler, LPD, an associate teaching professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions. 

“Some mycotoxins can be very harmful,” Detwiler says. “Some can also lead to gastrointestinal issues, like vomiting and diarrhea, and even neurological issues.” It can be particularly tough for passengers to deal with these symptoms on a plane, Detwiler points out. “There are only so many bathrooms and resources to deal with this on a plane,” he says. 

Mold is also an indication of spoilage, according to food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University. “Spoilage does not cause foodborne illness, but can cause upset stomach and nausea due to these off flavors and smells,” she says. With chicken, there’s also the risk of getting sick from bacteria like Salmonella or Campylobacter, Shumaker says. 

How to tell if the chicken has gone bad

It can be tough to tell if chicken is bad just from looking at it, unless it has visible mold, Detwiler says. “Even then, you wouldn’t know until the minute you open the package,” he says. Some people may not see mold if they’re not paying attention or if it’s covered in a sauce, he points out. 

Chicken that’s spoiled may smell and taste “off,” Shumaker says. But, again, that may be masked by other sauces and flavoring in the dish. 

Other than that, it’s hard to tell if chicken is contaminated with bacteria that can cause foodborne illness before you eat it, Shumaker says. “The best way to reduce the risk of getting foodborne illness from chicken is to make sure that it is fully cooked using a food thermometer,” she says. (Worth noting: While meat thermometers are allowed on planes, most people don’t take a food thermometer with them on flights.)

How about the water?

Technically speaking, yes, you can drink the water on planes — many have, and many will. Airlines are mandated to regularly clean their water tanks with a non-toxic solution and test the potability of their water. And if you’re thinking about ordering that coffee or tea, the heat should be hot enough to kill common pathogens.

“​​Bacteria is killed about 175 degrees, it doesn’t have to boil,” Vance Hilderman, the CEO of aviation development company AFuzion, told USA Today. “On the airplane, water boils at the 7,000-foot equivalent of about 195 degrees […] If we look at the World Health Organization, bacteria is killed at 170, so all that coffee and tea is good.”

But you should know that according to multiple flight attendants such as Kat Kamalani, who have taken to social media, water tanks and pipes are not cleaned very often — or at least, as often as most people would have liked. And according to a 2019 airline water study by CUNY’s Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, the airplane water tank that supplies your coffee water is also the same supply source for the lavatories. So really, it all boils down to your tolerance for risk and how good your immune system is. Anyone with a compromised immune system would likely want to take extra precautions to stay safe.

What food is actually safe to order on a flight?

Detwiler stresses that food safety is a potential problem across all airlines. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food safety for airline caterers and airlines, but they’re inspected much less often than restaurants, Detwiler says. 

“I don’t think this is just a Delta issue,” he adds. As a result, food safety experts say that some foods are probably a safer bet than others on flights. 

Pasta may be a better choice than dishes that contain meat, Detwiler says. But he also says that the best way to make sure your food is safe is to know more about how it’s prepared and stored. “I know some people who will only bring their own food on the plane,” he says. 

Shumaker also recommends going the BYO route. “For those who are concerned about food safety while traveling, they could consider bringing shelf-stable snacks for the plane like granola bars, trail mix, and nuts,” she says. “Also be sure to wash hands frequently while traveling.”