Lex Gabrielle
A McDonald’s in Alberta, Canada is under fire after an employee accidentally served a pregnant woman a cup full of cleaning fluids instead of a latte.
According to Lethbridge News Now, 32-week pregnant Sarah Douglas stopped at a McDonald’s in Lethbridge while driving her son to a baseball tournament and ordered a latte through the store’s drive-through. When she took a sip of the drink on the highway, she immediately spit it out and had to pull over.
I immediately had to put my hazard lights on and pull over and spit it out and rinse my mouth out with…in the door of my vehicle I had some water. I opened up the lid of the coffee and out pours this pungent smell of chemical. It wasn’t a latte at all.
After she realized she had been sold chemicals, she turned around and went back to the McDonald’s to complain.
I showed him the coffee and he had asked if I wanted a new one, and I said, ‘absolutely not, this is unacceptable.’ I said I need to speak to someone higher up and he said he was the only supervisor on at the time, and he gave me his manager’s phone number.
According to the store’s owner, the milk supply line was “accidentally” connected to the cleaning fluid line while the coffee was being made. Instead of milk for the latte, Douglas received the cleaning fluid. The full statement from Dan Brown, Franchisee, McDonald’s Lethbridge reads:
Since learning about the complaint, our team has been in very close contact with the guest and apologized to her. The health inspector also visited my restaurant and is not investigating further.
McDonald’s is renowned for its food safety protocols and I am sorry that this happened in my restaurant here in Lethbridge.
What happened is that the machine was being cleaned – as it is every morning. Unfortunately, the milk supply line was connected to the cleaning solution while this guest’s drink was made.
We have taken immediate action to review the proper cleaning procedures with the team and have put additional signage up as an added reminder.
Douglas claims she spoke with poison control and that she feels okay for now, but she will be following up with her family doctor ensuring that her baby is okay.
As a mother, I want to make sure I have voice and that I’m being heard in terms of the safety of consumers, and how (alleged) negligence can affect people in such a drastic way.
People on Twitter were confused as to how this possibly could have happened. Many online are claiming there’s no way to use the machine if it’s being cleaned. Others genuinely were concerned for Douglas and her baby.
Hopefully she and the baby will be okay!
— NoSpoilersDearie (@dwsherlockfan) August 1, 2018
Unacceptable on the part of the business!!
— Christine Mmmmmmmmmm (@chrisaustin48) August 1, 2018
I've worked at McDonald's . There is no way a milk supply line on the Latte machine is close to the cleaning agent line. Get that monies!
— Steven D (@Spacemanjoan) August 1, 2018
After using these coffee machine for years it's impossible to make a coffee while it's being cleaned n if the line not in cold milk it will tell you n won't work put it together with the fact the cup would of been cold, very light n smelt odd so nothing adds up here
— Sue (@sue5728) August 1, 2018
I think it’s sad and I hope that she and her baby are well. It’s terrible and inexcusable for a mistake like that to be made.
— Kristina Aleccia (@3929126d103d4f9) August 1, 2018
how does one screw up this badly
— klance (-y and the banditos) (@kind_of_a_twat) August 1, 2018
Why the hell would those two “lines” be connected in he machines?
— Cristina PS (@cristina_savoia) August 1, 2018
