Air China denies serving expired food after dozens fell sick on flight

Air China, a leading carrier in the mainland, has denied accusations that it fed passengers on a domestic flight out-of-date beef pancakes, making at least a dozen sick.

In a telephone interview with SCMP.com on Tuesday, an Air China spokeswoman said an investigation had revealed that incorrect packaging was to blame for the “misunderstanding.” She said Air China routinely discards leftover and out-of-date food and would never recycle them for reuse.

A photo of the packaged food she posted shows an expiration date of October 2, four days before her flight date.

“Look twice when you eat any food from Air China in the future,” she warned in her post that later caught the attention of reporters.

The passenger, identified by her surname as Wang, later told Chinese media that one toddler vomited soon after eating the pancake and at least 20 adults suffered sickness and had to use the toilet.