A flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was forced to be urgently diverted on Wednesday after dozens of passengers fell ill from moldy food served on board.
“Delta’s food safety team has asked our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident. This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers,” Delta corporate communications spokeswoman Lisa Hanna said, according to CBS News.
Around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Delta Flight 136 from Detroit, United States, to Amsterdam, Netherlands, had to make an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to treat dozens of sick passengers, according to the American media outlet.
Officials say part of the meal, served in the main cabin, caused the commotion when black mold, a particularly toxic type, was found in some of the food, a source familiar with the situation told CBS News.
The airline did not specify how many of the 277 passengers on board may have consumed the product in question, but the same source reported that around 70 passengers fell ill during the incident.
Upon arrival in New York, the passengers involved were all seen by a medical team and none of them requested further medical treatment, according to the American media.
Meanwhile, a Delta spokesperson reportedly confirmed to CBS News that “out of an abundance of caution,” the airline has “proactively adjusted” its “inflight meal service on a number of international flights.”
As a result, only the pasta option was reportedly being offered on about 75 international flights Wednesday night, the spokesperson added, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was reportedly notified of the situation.
According to the American media, a flight from Munich in Germany to Detroit had already had to make an emergency landing in London last week, after six crew members fell ill mid-flight. However, no passengers were affected.
