How 1 Meal Took Down a Plane with 144 Passengers

Summary

In 1975, a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 flight to Paris turned into a nightmare when 150 passengers were struck with food poisoning from contaminated omelettes, forcing an emergency landing in Copenhagen. The incident revealed severe flaws in food safety, including improper storage and a cook with infected lesions who prepared the meals. The tragedy led to new catering policies for airlines and highlighted the need for better oversight in the airline catering industry.

Takeaways

• 😨 A Japan Airlines flight to Paris ended in a severe food poisoning incident, turning a dream vacation into a nightmare for the passengers.
• 🛫 The flight, carrying mostly Coca-Cola salespeople and their families, had a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, and was headed to Copenhagen, Denmark before reaching Paris.
• 🍳 The second meal on the flight, ham omelettes, was the culprit behind the outbreak of food poisoning, affecting nearly 150 passengers.
• 🏥 The plane had to make an emergency landing in Copenhagen, where the sick passengers were rushed to hospitals, highlighting the need for immediate medical attention.
• 🗣️ Communication was a challenge as most passengers and some medical staff could not speak each other's languages, necessitating the involvement of Japanese-speaking staff from local restaurants.
• 🔬 The investigation led by the Alaska State Health Department identified Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and its toxins in the vomit, stool, and leftover omelettes.
• 🍽️ The meals were stored improperly, allowing bacteria to grow and produce toxins, with the omelettes being stored at unsafe temperatures for over 28 hours.
• 👨‍🍳 One of the cooks, who had lesions on his fingers, was found to be the source of the bacteria, emphasizing the importance of food handlers' health checks.
• 🛂 The incident led to changes in airline catering policies, with cockpit crew members now eating different meals prepared by different staff to prevent similar incidents.
• 💔 The tragic outcome included the suicide of Kenji Kuwabara, the manager of catering for Japan Airlines, who felt responsible for the incident and its aftermath.

Q & A

What was the initial destination of the Japan Airlines flight mentioned in the script?

The initial destination of the Japan Airlines flight was Paris, France.

What was the purpose of the trip for the passengers on the Japan Airlines flight?

The passengers were mostly salespeople for Coca-Cola and their family members who had won a vacation to Paris, arranged by Coca-Cola.

What was the route of the flight, and how many legs did it have?

The route had three legs: starting from Tokyo’s Haneda airport, stopping over in Anchorage, Alaska, then landing in Copenhagen, Denmark, before finally reaching Paris.

What meal caused the severe food poisoning incident on the flight?

The breakfast omelettes were the cause of the severe food poisoning incident.

Why did the plane have to make an emergency landing?

The plane had to make an emergency landing because almost 150 passengers became violently sick after consuming the contaminated omelettes.

What was the language barrier issue faced by the passengers when they landed in Copenhagen?

The language barrier issue was that none of the doctors in Denmark spoke Japanese, and very few passengers could speak English or Danish.

What bacteria was found to be the cause of the food poisoning?

The bacteria found to be the cause of the food poisoning was Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as staph.

What was the pattern observed among the passengers who got sick?

The pattern observed was that passengers who sat in the front section of the plane, including those in first class, got sick, while those in the very back were fine.

What were the improper food storage conditions that contributed to the bacteria growth?

The improper food storage conditions included the omelettes being stored at room temperature for six hours, then in a fridge at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) for over 14 hours, and in the plane ovens without refrigeration for another 8 hours before being reheated and served.

What was the role of the cook with lesions on his fingers in the food poisoning incident?

The cook with lesions on his fingers had prepared all the first-class meals and the ones that went to the front galley, which were the meals that made people sick. His lesions were infected with the staphylococci that caused the food poisoning.

What was the tragic outcome for Kenji Kuwabara, the manager of catering for Japan Airlines?

Kenji Kuwabara, feeling the personal responsibility and the blow to the company reputation from the food poisoning incident, took his own life in his apartment in Anchorage.

What are some of the food safety concerns highlighted in the script regarding airline catering?

Some food safety concerns highlighted include improper food storage temperatures, condensation dripping onto food, fans blowing dust onto meals, thermometers being inaccurate, raw meat contaminating cooked meat, moldy bread, listeria contaminations, expired food usage, live insects and birds, and bird and rodent feces.

Outlines

00:00

🛬 The Tragic Flight of Japan Airlines: A Food Poisoning Outbreak

The script recounts a disastrous flight on a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 in 1975, where 344 passengers, mostly salespeople for Coca-Cola and their families, were on a company-sponsored vacation to Paris. After a routine first leg from Tokyo to Anchorage, an emergency landing in Copenhagen was necessitated when nearly 150 passengers fell violently ill after consuming ham omelettes during breakfast service. The sickness was so severe that it required immediate hospitalization upon landing. The cause was traced back to the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria found in the omelettes, which had been improperly stored, allowing for bacterial growth and toxin production. The investigation revealed that one of the cooks preparing the meals had infected lesions on his fingers, which were a source of the bacteria. The incident led to significant changes in airline catering policies, emphasizing the importance of food safety and crew health checks.

05:03

🍽️ The Investigation into the Japan Airlines Food Poisoning Incident

This paragraph delves into the investigation following the food poisoning outbreak on the Japan Airlines flight. It highlights the role of the infected cook with lesions on his fingers, who prepared a significant portion of the meals, leading to an alarming 86% of those who ate his omelettes falling ill. The script also criticizes the lack of health checks by management and the improper food storage temperatures that allowed the bacteria to thrive. The incident had profound repercussions, including the tragic suicide of Kenji Kuwabara, the manager of catering for Japan Airlines, who felt a deep sense of responsibility and shame. The narrative also touches on the broader issue of inadequate oversight in the airline catering industry in the United States, with the FDA conducting far fewer inspections compared to restaurants, and the discovery of numerous violations that often go without consequences.

10:04

🦐 Airline Food Safety: Risks and Recommendations

The final paragraph shifts focus to general airline food safety, providing a list of foods to avoid when concerned about potential contamination. It includes dairy products, ice, deli meats, raw fruits and vegetables, uncooked rice, and shrimp, which are identified as high-risk due to their susceptibility to bacterial growth if not properly stored or handled. The script offers safer alternatives such as soups, stews, and curries that are typically reheated at high temperatures to kill bacteria. It also mentions bread rolls, crackers, and baked goods as lower-risk options. The paragraph concludes with a humorous note on the safest travel destination being the living room, referencing a previous video about unusual living situations, and includes a playful interaction with Twitter users about choosing between various unconventional living spaces.

Keywords

💡Food Poisoning

Food poisoning refers to illness caused by consuming contaminated food, often due to bacterial, viral, or parasitic contamination. In the video's theme, food poisoning is central as it was the result of consuming ham omelettes on a Japan Airlines flight, leading to severe consequences for the passengers and crew, and highlighting the importance of food safety in aviation.

💡Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as staph, is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning due to the toxins it produces. In the script, this bacteria was identified as the cause of the food poisoning outbreak on the Japan Airlines flight, emphasizing the role of pathogenic microorganisms in food safety incidents.

💡Emergency Landing

An emergency landing is a situation where an aircraft must land immediately due to a medical or technical emergency. The video describes how the severe food poisoning among passengers necessitated an emergency landing in Copenhagen, illustrating the urgency and potential danger of in-flight health crises.

💡Catering Standards

Catering standards pertain to the guidelines and regulations that ensure food safety and quality in the preparation and service of meals. The script discusses how inadequate catering standards, such as improper food storage temperatures and the health of food handlers, contributed to the food poisoning incident, underscoring the importance of strict adherence to these standards.

💡In-flight Meal Service

In-flight meal service is the process of providing food and beverages to passengers during a flight. The video's narrative revolves around a specific in-flight meal service gone wrong, where the breakfast omelettes served were contaminated, leading to widespread food poisoning among the passengers.

💡Temperature Control

Temperature control is critical in food safety to prevent the growth of bacteria and other pathogens. The script mentions that the omelettes were stored at temperatures higher than the recommended 40 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to multiply and produce toxins, which is a key factor in the food poisoning incident.

💡Health Inspection

Health inspection refers to the process of examining food service establishments to ensure they meet health and safety regulations. The video script points out the lack of oversight in the airline catering industry, with inspections happening less frequently than for restaurants, which can lead to lapses in food safety.

💡Food Safety Violations

Food safety violations are breaches of the rules and regulations designed to prevent foodborne illnesses. The script lists several examples of such violations found in airline catering operations, including improper temperature control and contamination issues, which can have serious health implications for passengers.

💡Risk Assessment

Risk assessment in the context of food safety involves evaluating the potential hazards associated with food preparation and consumption. The video uses the example of the food poisoning incident to highlight the importance of risk assessment in preventing similar occurrences and ensuring passenger health.

💡Catastrophic Event

A catastrophic event is a sudden and severe occurrence that has a profound impact. The food poisoning incident on the Japan Airlines flight can be considered catastrophic due to its sudden onset and the large number of people affected, leading to an emergency landing and hospitalization of passengers.

💡Tragic Consequences

Tragic consequences refer to the unfortunate and often irreversible outcomes of an event. The script describes the tragic consequence of the food poisoning incident as the suicide of Kenji Kuwabara, the manager of catering for Japan Airlines, who felt a deep sense of responsibility and shame over the incident.

Highlights

A Japan Airlines flight to Paris turned into a nightmare due to a severe food poisoning incident caused by contaminated omelettes.

344 passengers, mostly Coca-Cola salespeople and their families, were on the flight as a reward trip arranged by Coca-Cola.

The Boeing 747 flight had a multi-leg journey with a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, and a final destination of Paris.

Flight attendants served ham omelettes for breakfast, which were later identified as the cause of the food poisoning.

Almost 150 passengers were violently sick, requiring an emergency landing in Copenhagen for medical care.

Language barriers between Danish doctors and Japanese passengers were overcome with the help of Japanese-speaking staff from local restaurants.

Investigation revealed Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and its toxins in the vomit, stool, and leftover omelettes.

Food storage conditions were inadequate, allowing bacteria to grow and produce toxins over 28 hours.

One cook with infected lesions on his fingers prepared a significant portion of the contaminated meals.

The cook's infection, combined with improper food storage and lack of health checks, led to the outbreak.

A new catering policy was implemented for cockpit crew to prevent similar incidents by having different meals prepared by different staff.

Kenji Kuwabara, the manager of catering for Japan Airlines, took his own life due to the incident's impact on the company and his personal responsibility.

The airline catering industry in America faces little oversight, with inspections occurring far less frequently than for restaurants.

High-risk foods to avoid on airplanes include dairy products, ice, deli meats, raw fruits and vegetables, uncooked rice, and shrimp.

Safer food options on airplanes are soups, stews, curries, bread rolls, crackers, baked goods, and pretzels, which are typically reheated at high temperatures.

The incident serves as a cautionary tale for the importance of proper food handling and storage in the airline industry.

Transcripts

This free flight would end up being the passengers' worst nightmare.

For the 20 attendants working on the Japan

Airlines plane, it was so far routine..

The aircraft, headed for Paris, was now ready to serve breakfast.

The flight attendants reheated the ham

omelettes and began their meal service.

The passengers woke up, hungry after several hours of

flying, and excited to eat a freshly prepared breakfast.

Little did they know, these eggs would derail their entire vacation.

The omelettes had such a severe effect on people that the plane had

to make an emergency landing as its passengers fought for their lives.

1975 — Tokyo, Japan.

344 excited passengers boarded a Japan

Airlines plane destined for Paris.

Most of the travellers were salespeople

for Coca-Cola, and their family members.

The employees had won a vacation to Paris, and Coca-Cola

had arranged a flight on a Boeing 747 aircraft for the trip.

The route had 3 legs that began in Tokyo’s Haneda

airport, had a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska to fuel up,

then crossed the Arctic to land in Copenhagen, Denmark

before finally heading to the final destination, Paris.

Including stops, the trip would take roughly 20 hours.

The passengers would be attended by a crew of around 20 people.

The first leg of the trip, Tokyo to Anchorage, went smoothly.

The plane then flew over the Arctic ocean and

entered European airspace around breakfast time.

Earlier, sandwiches had been handed out as a meal,

and now flight attendants prepared a second meal for

the passengers and crew, ham omelettes, an hour and

a half before the plane was set to land in Denmark.

The pilot and first officer working on the second leg of the flight

had been staying in Alaska, so they were running on a different

internal clock than the plane’s schedule and weren’t craving breakfast.

Instead, they preferred to have steak for dinner.

But for the passengers, omelettes were heated up and distributed.

People ate as the aircraft got closer and

closer to Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen.

They were only 30 minutes away from landing,

when it was clear something was terribly wrong.

Almost 150 passengers were suddenly violently sick—nauseated,

vomiting, and suffering from diarrhea and cramps.

There probably were not enough bathrooms

to accommodate the sudden high demand.

One flight attendant was struck as well, but the two pilots were

thankfully fine, and were able to make a quick landing in Copenhagen.

Most of the travellers were so severely ill

that immediate hospitalization was necessary.

The Paris vacation they had felt so lucky to win was

turning out pretty grim, and they hadn’t even reached the

destination yet, but that was the least of their worries.

Sick passengers were taken for emergency medical

care as soon as possible, but there was a problem.

None of the doctors in Denmark spoke any Japanese, and very few

of the passengers could even speak English, let alone Danish.

Where could they find people who could translate?

Thankfully, Japanese restaurants in Copenhagen were

contacted, and Japanese-speaking employees were

summoned to the hospital to assist during the crisis.

30 of the plane’s travellers were in critical condition.

The cause of the severe food poisoning was suspected

to be the breakfast omelettes, since people got sick

quickly, soon after consuming them, but authorities needed

to take a closer look before saying anything for sure.

There was also an interesting pattern of who got

sick—people who sat in the very back of the plane were fine.

All the passengers who got food poisoning had sat in

the front section, including those in first class.

An investigation was launched, led by

the Alaska State Health Department.

Tests made on samples of vomit, stool, and leftover ham omelettes

picked up a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, known more

commonly as staph, and high levels of toxins produced by the bacteria.

The culprit was indeed the breakfast omelettes,

but where had the contamination come from?

There were strict guidelines involving food

preparation that should have made this impossible.

Investigators traced the history of the breakfast

meals and discovered some uncomfortable things.

The meals were stored in conditions that would have made

it very easy for bacteria to reproduce and produce toxins.

After being made, the breakfasts sat in the kitchen at

room temperature for six hours, and even though the meals

were placed in a fridge for over 14 hours after that,

the fridge temperature was not low enough to be safe.

It’s recommended that food be stored at 40 degrees

Fahrenheit, or 4.4 degrees Celsius to stop the growth

of bacteria, but the omelettes had been stored in a

refrigerator at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius.

They were taken out and stored in the plane ovens, again without

refrigeration, for another 8 hours before being reheated and served.

All in all, this adds up to over 28 hours of storage

without proper cool temperatures to ensure food safety,

plenty of time for bacteria to grow and release toxins.

But while these storage conditions were less than

satisfactory, they would not have caused illness on their own.

The investigation team decided to look closer at

International Inflight Catering, a branch of Japan Airlines

based in Anchorage, and where the meals had come from.

They learned that three cooks in the Anchorage kitchen were involved

in preparing the meals, and one of them had prepared all the first

class meals and the ones that went to the front galley, or kitchen.

The airplane had four galleys to serve the different areas of the

plane, and only meals that came from the front ones made people sick.

One cook had handled Danish canned ham that went into the

omelettes, and had helped prep 220 of the plane’s total 354 meals.

86% of those who ate his omelettes

suffered from food poisoning as a result.

The cook was wearing bandages on two of his fingers, and

it turned out that under the bandages, he had lesions.

He was aware of his blisters, which is why he covered them up, but

didn’t think they were important enough to report to his employer.

Furthermore, investigators found out that his managers did not confirm

that he was in good health, even though they were required to do so.

Tests revealed that the lesions were infected

with the staphylococci that had made everyone ill.

It takes only 100 staphylococci to cause food poisoning, so it made

sense that people had gotten so sick so quickly, now that we know

how long the meals were sitting out and accumulating toxins for.

The toxins are also heat-resistant, so the heating process

of the breakfasts did not destroy the contamination.

But it wasn’t just the cook’s infection that was to blame.

If the omelettes had been stored according to

proper food and safety guidelines, the entire

food poisoning outbreak would have been prevented.

It was the fact that the cook had a staph infection,

combined with the managers not verifying his health, and the

improper food storage all combined that led to this outbreak.

If just one of those factors were taken out, or the cook

had worn gloves, the whole incident could have been avoided.

It was very fortunate that the plane’s pilots opted for dinner over

breakfast, a chance preference that helped them narrowly avoid illness.

If they had eaten the omelettes and gotten as

sick as some of the passengers, they may not

have been able to even land the aircraft safely.

Ever since this incident, many airlines implemented a new

catering policy for cockpit crew members to eat different

meals prepared by different staff to prevent a food

poisoning incident from taking everyone out of commission.

Though the sudden illness before even arriving at the destination

definitely puts a bit of a damper on a romantic couple's getaway

or family vacation, at least no one was too severely affected.

Or so everyone thought.

Though the contaminated omelettes hadn’t directly resulted

in any loss of life of any passengers that got food

poisoning, there is unfortunately one fatality in this story.

Kenji Kuwabara, 52 years old, was the manager of catering for Japan

Airlines and vice president of International Inflight Catering.

The investigators of the Japan Airlines food poisoning

incident were very direct and honest in their

approach to determine how the outbreak happened.

They strongly emphasized that nobody with infected lesions

should handle food, and this meant that the catering company

had flaws in their system, since management did not inspect

or question the cooks about their health, and the cook was

not aware of the potential risks of him handling the food.

But even that mistake would have slipped by if the meals had

been stored continuously at the recommended low temperatures.

Again, this pointed the lesioned finger at the caterer’s standards.

The bad publicity and blow to the company reputation,

his personal responsibility as the head of the Anchorage

office, and losing face was too much for Kenji to bear.

Just days after the incident, in his

apartment in Anchorage, he took his own life.

He had worked with the airline for 25 years, and many colleagues who

were close to him mourned, along with his wife and four children.

Despite this incident serving as a lesson for all airlines, an NBC

News investigation indicated that the airline catering industry in

America has little oversight, and outbreaks are not easy to track.

The American FDA oversees food safety for airlines,

but inspects the industry a lot less than restaurants.

While restaurants are recommended for inspection every six

months, airline caterers can expect one every 3 to 5 years—and

for actual airlines, inspections occur randomly “when time

and opportunity allow.” Even when they do happen, many

violations can be found, but there are rarely consequences.

While some states may independently choose to impose

more regulations and inspections, there is no standard.

From 2015 to 2019, the FDA found condensation dripping onto food, fans

blowing dust onto meals, thermometers off by as many as 25 degrees, raw

meat contaminating cooked meat, moldy bread, listeria contaminations,

expired food usage, live insects and birds, and bird and rodent feces.

From October 2008 until late 2019, the FDA issued

almost 1500 food safety citations to 16 airlines

and the three major American airline caterers.

Some of these included serious issues, like not keeping food at

the correct temperature, and we all saw what that led to earlier.

Despite the violations, no caterers have been shut down.

According to food safety expert Jean Dible, there are six foods to

avoid if you are particularly worried about food safety on airplanes.

Dairy products are most prone to spoiling

when not stored in cold temperatures.

Ice is a surprising one, but bacteria can survive on

cubes and not all attendants may be diligent about washing

their hands or wearing gloves while handling ice cubes.

Deli meats are another thing to watch out for,

because they are consumed cold and don’t go through

a reheating process that can help kill bacteria.

Raw fruits and vegetables have the same risks.

With a melon, for example, bacteria can double every

20 minutes if the fruit is not properly stored.

Other high-risk produce includes leafy greens like lettuce and sprouts.

Uncooked rice often contains bacteria that can survive cooking

temperatures, and if the rice is cooled or sits in the wrong

temperature, the spores can grow and make someone very sick.

Rice needs to be reheated at 165 degrees

Fahrenheit in order to be totally safe to eat.

Finally, shrimp, a first-class staple,

can host many undesirable pathogens.

A 2015 study by Consumer Reports found that 60% of frozen shrimp

tested were positive for Salmonella, Vibrio vulnificus, Listeria or E. coli.

2% contained a super-bug called Staphylococcus aureus.

All seafood is risky, but shrimp and oysters are the most dangerous.

Safer options include soup, stews, and curries that are usually

reheated many times at high temperatures that kill bacteria.

Bread rolls, crackers, packed baked goods, and those

classic airplane pretzels are also pretty safe.

So, there’s no need to cancel your upcoming

trip or starve yourself on a flight.

Just be aware of the risks and the

reputation of your airline catering company.

As if there wasn’t already enough to

worry about while planning a vacation!

Now, planes are definitely out of the question.

That means the safest place I can travel to…

factoring in all the risks, is…

The living room!

That’ll be fun.

Based on our previous video about a man who secretly lived inside the

walls of a shopping mall for 4 years, we asked Twitter, "If you were

forced to live in one of these places, which one would you choose?"

Here are the results!