Needles sharp at both ends, Sandwiches, Amsterdam, Gate Gourmet and Delta
Daily Telegraph a ‘tad’ late with above news that seems to have been in US and some other International Press since at least Sunday 15 July.
One of the early news items – http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/13819190-418/needles-found-in-sandwiches-on-four-delta-flights.html
This is the Daily Telgraph’s ….
Message flagged Wednesday, 18 July 2012, 18:59 DT 18 July –
“FBI investigates needles in airline food
An airline passenger who found a sewing needle inside his in flight meal describing a sudden jab to the roof of his mouth yesterday as the FBI began an international investigation into the incident.
Jim Tonjes was one of four business class passengers who discovered inch long needles hidden inside hot turkey sandwiches on Delta Airlines flights between Amsterdam and the United States.
Mr Tonjes who was returning home to Minneapolis glanced down at his food after feeling the sharp object and saw a needle with points at both ends……..
……After the discovery cabin crew alerted other Delta Flights from Amsterdam and foreign objects were confirmed in four other meals on flights to Seattle and Atlanta while another was found in the Minneapolis flight.
The FBI opened an inquiry into how the needles ended up in the sandwiches. Food delivery lorries carefully inspected for foreign bodies.
The sandwiches were made by a company in amsterdam, Gate Gourmet, one of the worlds largest in flight catering companies.
The company and Delta Airlines were cooperating with the authorities investigating the incident.”
Are we seeing the catch 22 in economic times OR …….. is it someone setting the tone for extra security measures that will cost even more – buy your own food at departure gates (hopefully from a large variety of vendors e.g. M&S) after clearing security.
I guess it will become like Royalty or VIP airlines having to random sample all food. That will put the Airlines either out of business or raise fares.
What next – toothpicks, shards of glass/plastic, fibre glass ?
Who employs the people that work on this vital food chain and how much security clearance have the food handlers had?
The ‘world’ is surely becoming sick beyond comprehension
By: nJayM - 25th July 2012 at 18:33
I sincerely hope they have found out what happened
I sincerely hope they have found out what happened.
Whether the general public will ever know is another question.
Reasons may be the obvious – cost cutting, bad maintenance (if machine malfunction/disintegration) or dare I say it sabotage by a low paid worker paid a lot by a rival of either the airline or the food supplier.
By: J Boyle - 24th July 2012 at 20:15
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It may be possible that a machine processing the turkey meat lost some of its ‘bits’ (for want of a better word – ie the double edge sharp needle like in cutters/slicers/mashers) and since minor in comparison to a major component failure did not cause the machine to trigger an alarm or shut down (depending how sophisticated the machines are at Gate Gourmet – Holland).
I would think even a brief examination of them would determine whether they blade shards or purpose-built needles.
I’m sure the FBI or police already have an answer.
By: nJayM - 24th July 2012 at 19:44
It may unless commercial interests go ‘hush hush’ and buy customer silence
It may unless commercial interests (ie Delta, Gate Gourmet, etc) go ‘hush hush’ and buy customer silence.
Could there be a sensible explanation (although not comforting to passengers/consumers)?
To produce Turkey Sandwiches (whether minced/mashed or sliced) there must be a commercial process.
Double edged or double ended needles as described in the media reports are rare to find in the domestic market (hence if it is deliberate sabotage it must be a high spender behind it).
It may be possible that a machine processing the turkey meat lost some of its ‘bits’ (for want of a better word – ie the double edge sharp needle like in cutters/slicers/mashers/shredders) and since minor in comparison to a major component failure did not cause the machine to trigger an alarm or shut down (depending how sophisticated the machines are at Gate Gourmet – Holland).
Maybe the machine was discovered later or only after the Delta flights reported the passenger/s near injuries.
I take no sides in this incident except to say that in the food chain in developed countries (ideally all countries) every aspect should be thought of especially when supplying airline meals since getting to a hospital A&E isn’t a few minutes by ‘Blue Light’ when one is a few thousand feet up and few hundred miles from land. (No please don’t start on how long that can take by conventional ambulance in UK while on ‘tera firma’)
Ralph is absolutely correct when he says not everything should become a law suit but that is de facto in the US.
By: Arabella-Cox - 22nd July 2012 at 18:32
No worries, I’ve had a fish bone stick into the roof of my mouth. 😮 I didn’t sue the airline however. Could have been rich now :dev2:
By: Matt-100 - 18th July 2012 at 21:54
To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if the whole thing was just one big compensation claims scam.
According to ABC news, a father and his teenage son both travelling on separate Delta Air Lines flights to the US both reported “minor injuries” after biting into said sandwiches. The teenager has refused to hand the needle in question over to authorities citing he needs it as “evidence in a pending law suit”.
I guess all will become clear in the fullness of time?
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July 18, 2012 at 7:23 pm