Six days before Christmas a London family thought they would grab a quick meal at a McDonald’s drive-thru. All seemed normal until their two young kids started making weird noises in the back seat. When their mom pulled over, she was shocked by what she discovered her boys were eating.
The older boy had quickly wolfed down his burger without looking at it and was complaining of a funny taste in his mouth, while their younger boy had opened the burger after a couple of bites and was making a disgusted face at what he saw.
“Mommy is this right” the little guy asked,… showing her a red raw patty underneath the bun.
As you can see from the picture, there was something not right with the burgers. Thankfully the children didn’t get e coli poisoning and just had a sore stomach for a couple of hours. However, their kids now won’t eat any food without inspecting it and refuse to eat hamburgers or meat.
The family contacted McDonald’s about the incident and showed the manager the pictures. He didn’t appear to be overly concerned and said on the phone this happens all the time, and so they shouldn’t make a big deal about it.
The parents thought they should make a big deal about it as the potential for harm is huge. Customers who are short on time rely on fast food, and they needed to feel secure about what is under the wrapper. More importantly, they need to feel that their quick and easy choice for eating is safe for kids.
Melissa Scott, a lawyer at Millars Law says, “there is always a danger that someone is not paying attention and that it is a good idea to inspect your food before eating it. The business has a duty to provide you with safe food, but in the end, it is better to be healthy than sick or traumatized”. Lawsuits can only do so much after the fact, and it is better to not need a lawyer. Children, often less aware of what is normal are more likely to eat food first and ask questions later
The family contacted McDonald’s management team to warn them about what had happened. The manager on duty offered them coupons and then elevated the issue to the general manager. Mom was asked to contact the general manager via email. She has not received a response to her email.
The next day, she contacted the Middlesex Health Unit to file a complaint and was informed that a Health Inspector went to the McDonald’s the following day for a site inspection.
Her husband spoke to the general manager after the Health Unit inspection and learned that the problem was a human error involving the timer on the meat, which had since been rectified.
The family has yet to receive a copy of the Health Unit report.
The family has received a $50.00 gift card from the owner of the McDonalds. It has been donated it to charity as they have lost their appetite.
Here is a movie clip that resonates with the situation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9upvWNN3P8
