Commercial Fixed Wing
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Company Policy; Procedure
I am submitting the report because this instance/issue needs a lot of attention.Forward catering happened during boarding. The previous crew filled up both carts with garbage at the bottom after consolidating; as we are supposed to do. I watched catering take out the trash and dirty trays; and put the clean glasses in that same cart and load it back for me. Guests were able to see this just as clearly as me.But this raises much bigger questions. Is this normal practice? [We were] told that all carts are deep cleaned before being re-loaded on a flight. Obviously not today. Also with the corona virus spreading internationally; this promotes the spread of the disease. Should I have stopped the operation and maybe caused a possible further 1 hour delay to wait for catering to bring me 'hopefully a clean cart'? If they are doing this while loading most likely it's a standard practice.Catering should not switch things out of the carts. It should all [be] loaded and changed out at the kitchen.Catering should not put clean dishes or food in a previously dirty cart that had trash bags full of trash without being washed out.Catering should be better supported so that they don't cut corners like that.
Flight Attendant reported that a catering cart was used to transport trash and dirty trays and was not cleaned before being loaded with clean dishes and food.