Take your own food
At least where Gate Gourmet is catering
Needle found in sandwich served on Air Canada flight
If you feared airplane food couldn’t get worse, a passenger on an Air Canada flight bound for Pearson International Airport in Mississauga from Victoria, B.C. found a sewing needle in a prepackaged sandwich, an airline spokesperson has confirmed.
Investigators are trying to determine if the sandwiches were prepared by Gate Gourmet, one of the world’s largest airline caterers that operates on five continents. Gate Gourmet has facilities in Mississauga and Richmond, B.C.
“Safety is always our top priority so we are taking this matter very seriously,” Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick wrote in an email. “We immediately contacted the caterers that provision our flights, and a full investigation is under way.”
Fitzpatrick said the airline will work closely with the police in their investigation. He declined to comment further.
Monday’s discovery comes two weeks after similar needles were discovered in sandwiches served on four Delta Air Line flights leaving from Amsterdam. The FBI and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport have opened criminal investigations.
A Delta spokeswoman told The Associated Press that the passengers discovered four of the six needles aboard flights on July 15. One of the needles reportedly jabbed a passenger’s mouth.
Those sandwiches had been prepared by Gate Gourmet.
In 2010, Gate Gourmet’s parent company, gategroup, bought leading Canadian airline caterer Cara Airline Solutions. At that time, Cara’s key customers included Air Canada and VIA Rail.