McDonald’s Charged With Rs 5 Crore After Mouse Excreta Found In Burger
McDonald agrees to pay half a million pounds in fines and costs against hygiene breaches in East London.
A fine of Rs. 5 Crore has been levied on a McDonald’s branch after one customer complained of mouse droppings on a Cheeseburger.
The buyer, whose name has been concealed, had been half way through their munching, when they saw on the inside of the burger wrapper what looked like a mouse dropping.
The order had been placed at a drive-through in east London’s Leytonstone, that has a low rating of 1.5 stars on the online platforms.
Henceforth, the customer registered a complaint with the Waltham Forest Council. A team of investigators comprising of the environment health officials were sent to probe the matter in detail.
Upon inspection, an uncontrollable rodent contamination was observed, that could severely affect the consumers buying from their outlet. The infestation that could lead to imminent and real risk on public health is noted as a major drawback on part of the branch authorities.
The Leytonstone branch was thereby immediately locked and the consumer having their meals were asked to leave the premises, even though halfway through their dining.
The health officers found decomposing debris of a dead mouse and droppings in various areas of the McDonald’s restaurant after thorough scrutiny.
Mice excrements were found in several areas of the restaurant, including, the primary cooking section and food preparation floor; next to a utensils tray in the main area of cooking; inside cupboards of store cleaning as well as storage area; in the main floor hot room; and even inside a box used for storage of caramel flavor drizzle sauce.
Furthermore, unkempt and unhygienic conditions was noticed by the investigating team. Although the restaurant made claims of cleanliness with paperwork of cleaning schedule, the kitchen area was found to be drastically dusty, dirty and greasy.
Having 1299 branches spread across the United Kingdom, the particular branch of McDonald has been ordered to take down its services until next 10 days after which the officials would revisit and if found fit for reopening would resume its system.
On a stricter note, the Waltham Forest Council which looks after the food hygiene rating of restaurants, rose to legal action against McDonald’s for posing a tremendous risk to consumers who purchase fast-foods from such heavily infested locations.
Three charges relating to hygiene breaches were admitted by the fast-food tech giant. The magistrates of Thames Magistrate Court, therefore, ordered them to pay 22,000 Euros (Rs. 1.98 Crore) as costs and 475,000 Euros (Rs. 4.23 Crore) as penalty.
Waltham Forest Council upholds the spirit of community safety and hygiene. The Councilor and Cabinet member of WFC, Khevyn Limbajee certified that consumers should be confident of the food they eat; whether it is prepared and cooked in sterile and non-toxic environments.
The Council had to take stringent actions against the Ray Kroc-owned company as the infestation showed serious health risks for the visitors and the residents.
Irrespective of the name and fame of a Business franchise, the Council voices their complaints and religiously takes action wherever needed.
Being a reputed Californian-origin fast food chain, that serves more than thousands of its customer base with its wide variety of meals, the gravity of the fallacy is enormous.
On grounds of the sanitary breach, McDonald’s themselves accepted and pleaded guilty for the flaw in the initial shot. This was highly appreciated as the concern is mainly on the health of people who consume their products with trust.
Fast food is the most sought-after food option for avid food lovers, who are in search of an affordable and quick meal around the globe.
From the time of the Mac Brothers, McDonald’s has established itself as a highly trustable franchise with its swift services and high-grade quality standards.
The UK outlet would now be under review until 10 days, and would reopen its services to the general public after getting a hygiene clearance from the authorities.
Proofread & Published By, Naveenika Chauhan
