People love McDonald’s fries, and they often rank high in polls and best of lists ranking the best fries. More than 255 billion individual McDonald’s fries are served to customers every year, according to the company.
What if something tainted these beloved crispy potato snacks? What if that something was human saliva from a stranger?
A video that’s recently gone viral appears to show exactly that nightmare scenario, according to a summary provided by People magazine. It said a worker was shown apparently putting fries in her mouth before placing them in iconic red McDonald’s cartons.
“We are aware of a video circulating online involving an employee at a local fast food restaurant allegedly contaminating food before it was served,” said a Facebook post from the Southbridge Police Department in Massachusetts, the community where the alleged incident is said to have taken place. “Since the video was posted, our department has received numerous calls, online tips, and media inquiries regarding the incident.”
It went on to say that the matter is being addressed in coordination with the local Board of Health and magagment of the restaurant. According to the police department it was working to determine if the fries were actually served to a customer or customers as of May 8.
“We understand the concern this incident has generated within the community,” said the Facebook post. “While this investigation is ongoing, we ask the public to allow investigators and health officials to complete a thorough review of the circumstances.”
People said in an article published Tuesday that the Spadea and Balducci family, (owners and operators of the Southbridge McDonald's franchise) shared their reaction in a statement.
“The actions of these individuals are unacceptable and do not reflect our organization’s food safety standards or values. We conducted an internal review, and they are no longer employed by our organization,” the statement read, according to People and a local NBC station. “We are proactively working with local authorities and the local health department, who found no public health concerns or violations. The wellbeing and safety of our Southbridge community remains our top priority.”
People said the Southbridge Police Department and the Southbridge Board of Health did not immediately respond to its request for comment about the situation.
