Warning: This sandwich may contain a gold earring
A Chicago man is suing McDonald's for injuries he sustained when he swallowed a gold earring that was in his sandwich.
The complaint asserts, among other things, that the sandwich "lacked any warning of the fact that it contained the gold earring" and that McDonald's "failed to prevent foreign objects not fit for human consumption, including but not limited to earrings, from being offered to the general public in the food being served."
McDonald's fillet-o-fish is really fish
Putting aside years of conspiracy theories, the Miami Herald commissioned Nova Southeastern professor Mahmood Shivji's to use DNA fingerprinting technology to confirm that the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich is actually made of fish.
Alaska pollock.
McDonald's corporate website identifies pollock as one of two fish sources for its decades-old fish sandwich (the other being hoki, a fish found off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia).
Both fish species are recognized as sustainable, well-managed fisheries -- meaning Filet-O-Fish lovers can feel good that their guilty pleasure won't harm Mother Nature's marine ecosytems.
Not-so-Happy Meals in Illinois
While Brad and Angelina were treating their kiddies to some McDonald’s Happy Meals this weekend (see right), the Rock Island County Health department revealed repeat violations for the Milan, Illinois McDonald’s linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak, reports WQAD Online.
Rock Island County Health inspectors typically go to restaurants like a McDonalds once or twice a year. That's all that is required by law. But the Milan McDonald's because of violations last year was told in February they would be visited as many as four times this year.
The Milan McDonald's was shut down last Wednesday after the Rock Island County Health department realized an employee was working while sick with Hepatitis A and exposing customers to the disease. (Possibly 10,000 people were exposed.) When a violation occurs it's the inspectors job to find out why.
Paul Guse the Direcor of Environmental Health said there had been violations in the past, and a letter sent to the establishment in February, saying,
"We have identified your establishment as being below desired compliance levels and posing an increased risk for a foodborne illness outbreak."
Did the health department see this outbreak coming?
Guse says, "No."
Mcdonald's owner Kevin Murphy says he did not know of the outbreak until Monday the 13th and was not told the names of the infected employees until Wednesday, July 15th after his restaurant was closed.
Restaurant inspections aren’t predictive of foodborne illness outbreaks, but they can provide information on an establishment and management’s culture of food safety.
Hepatitis A debacle in Illinois
Who knew what, when? A common theme in foodborne illness outbreak management is how was the essential information managed and responded to (whether it was knowledge of a contaminated product, linked illnesses or reporting an infected food handler). As more information trickles out about 
a food handler-linked Hepatitis A outbreak in Milan, Illinois it gets more confusing as to when the operator knew about the illness. Today a customer came forward and claims overhearing the discussion:
The woman says she was waiting in line to order at the McDonalds in Milan on June 25th, when she heard employee Cheryl Schram approach a manager behind the counter.
''She came out and she said Michelle, I was diagnosed with Hepatitis A'', said the woman who doesn't want her name used. ''I was in there and I heard her say that''.
The customer says she knows what she heard that day. ''I swear on my mothers grave''.
This week's food safety infosheet is all about the Hep A outbreak. Download it here.
Health dept: We balance public's need to know with needs of business; 20 sick with Hepatitis A in Illinois
KWQC is reporting that two workers at the Milan, Illinois, McDonald's tested positive for Hepatitis A but TV6 has learned one of those tests came back a month ago.
Even though the first case was confirmed back in mid-June, the Rock Island County Health Department didn't close the McDonald's until this past Wednesday. By then, another case had been confirmed.
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The health department now says it didn't respond back then because it didn't know back then. The health department says it didn't find out about the case on June 9th until July 10th, a month later.
By law, the health department should have been notified within 24 hours. At a press conference Saturday afternoon, health department staff said the system broke down.
Wendy Trute with the Health Department said,
"There's a network of providers and there's a whole list of people responsible for reporting infectious diseases or communicable diseases."
The Health Department also says in addition to the two confirmed cases at the Milan McDonalds, there are also confirmed hepatitis A cases involving other local businesses.
We then asked which businesses, Trute said,
"You know what? It's not our policy to name them, nor is it the policy of the state health department. However, I can assure you we have worked with them and they have taken all the necessary pre-cautions required of them."
As far as communicating details to the public, the Health Department says it tries to balance the public's need to know with the needs of any business that may be involved.
There are 20 confirmed Hepatitis A case in Rock Island and surrounding areas, with 11 people being hospitalized.
Customer, parent outraged over Hepatitis A linked to Illinois McDonald's
There are 19 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A in Illinois, primarily in Rock Island County, and they appear to be linked to a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Illinois that was closed Wednesday evening.
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The mother of a McDonalds employee who did not wish to be identified, said her daughter worked from 11-5 on Wednesday and she then accompanied her to the Rock Island County Health Department where employees were being screened for Hepatitis A.
The mother said,
"I'm very angry. They put my daughter in jeopardy along with the public and other people."
Arnie Hanson, his wife and daughter were among the last to be served food on Wednesday evening. A manager had to unlock a door so they could leave.
"You should be able to trust who's preparing your food. It's very disappointing. … We're upset about it because not only me and my wife ate there. We also had our 11-year-old daughter. Now you're dealing with kids. It's just not right."
Oregon. man upset by McDonald's order repeatedly calls 911
Oregon appears to be an emerging state for 911 wackos – rivaling Florida and Texas – after a 23-year-old called 911 Friday to complain about his order at a McDonald’s in Clackamas, Ore.
Last month, a fellow Oregonian was arrested after calling 911 to complain about a juice box missing from his McDonald’s order. From insufficient shrimp in Texas, a McNuggets emergency and missing lemonade at a Burger King, 2009 is turning into a watershed year as American fast-food diners to a 911-mediated slide into idiocracy.
In the latest incident, KOMO News reports that a man said he had paid $10 in the drive-thru but only received a single burger and a fry before he was told to pull around.
"Sir, this is not a police matter," the dispatcher told him. "You need to take it up with the manager of the McDonald's."
The man thought it would be wise to call 911 again.
"This is a 911 emergency. I got robbed for eight dollars."
"Sir, 911 is life-and-death only. If you do continue calling 911 you will be arrested for misuse."
"Well, arrest me at (expletive) 82nd and Sunnyside Road. Please send a cop right now. I swear to God all my life..."
The man was arrested and spent the night in jail.
On Saturday, the man told KATU he stood by his actions.
"I was very upset that they tried to charge me for food I had already paid for. … For me to end up going to jail over a $10 order, that's just ridiculous.”
Millionaire City boss tells staff to eat two-day-old burgers ... to remind them how lucky they are to still have jobs
Local health-types are a bit miffed that UK gazillionaire Damon Buffini decided to punish the inflated egos – and bellies – of his staff by sending out for more than 100 McDonald's burgers, waiting two days and then providing the aged burgers for a staff lunch.
Buffini apparently told the gathered staffers he was tired of their poor attitude, reminded them how lucky they had been in life, and that lunch would not be taken at any of the smart restaurants in and around Covent Garden. Instead, they were told to eat their 'two-day-old' burgers and reflect on how fortunate they all were to still have their jobs.
The burgers were apparently reheated.
Andrew Hamadanian, senior communication officer for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said,
“Without knowing the specific details, McDonald's and other fast food are made to be eaten straight away. We would not encourage eating food that may not have been stored properly between purchase and consumption.”
Maggots on Big Mac in NZ?
The New Zealand Herald reports that Northland health authorities are investigating a complaint from Lianne Tansley after her 15-year-old son, Issac, claims a burger sold at the Whangarei's Bank St McDonald’s was filled with maggots.
Isaac ordered a Big Mac and cheeseburger from the drive-through on New Year's Day. He finished the cheeseburger but didn't start eating the Big Mac until he and his mother were nearly at their Whangarei Heads home.
"He took the top bun off to take out the gherkin, and then he said, 'My God, Mum, look at this'," said Lianne Tansley. "The whole patty was moving as if it was alive. It was gross." When she rang McDonald's a manager took her name and contact details and asked her to bring the burger back in to be replaced. "I said, 'No thanks, I'm never eating there again'."
Nine days later, after Tansley sent a photograph of the burger to the Northland District Health Board and the Northern Advocate newspaper, McDonald's regional operations manager Sanjay Kumar rang her.
He apologised for the delay and said the matter hadn't been brought to his attention, she said.
McDonald's national communications manager Kate Porter said it was unlikely maggots could have hatched in the beef patties, which were cooked from frozen when orders were placed.
The restaurant apologized to the mother and given her $135 of vouchers for more burgers.
McDonald's, U.S. retailers pull some tomatoes
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McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman was cited as saying the company has not detected salmonella bacteria in any of its tomato supplies, "but with an abundance of caution, we want to make sure our food items containing tomatoes are absolutely safe." McDonald's said it will continue to serve grape tomatoes in its premium salads.Winn Dixie in Florida announced they have pulled tomatoes off the shelves, will destroy the tomatoes in stock, and are asking their customers to not eat them. Giant Eagle Supermarkets of Pennsylvania has also pulled a variety of green, yellow, Roma and organic tomatoes off the shelf as a precaution.
The Tampa Tribune reports that trucks of Florida-grown tomatoes were being turned away by retailers Monday. Florida is not on the list of safe tomato-producing states – those not linked to the outbreak – nonetheless, state agriculture officials say Florida-grown tomatoes are safe to eat and are awaiting clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Liz Compton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said,
"We know Florida's tomatoes are OK. The problem is, they haven't officially cleared us yet, and we are having trucks turned away. … What we know is that the tomatoes that we're shipping now were not being harvested at the time in question."
Tampa-based Sweetbay Supermarkets and Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets have pulled all of the suspect tomatoes from their shelves.
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McDonald's Canada pulls tomatoes from menu
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McDonald's fast-food outlets in Canada have temporarily removed tomatoes from their menu options, after news south of the border that salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has spread to 16 U.S. states.McDonald's said in a letter to consumers that it has not experienced any problems to date but consider the move a “precautionary measure."
Below is a news clip from a New Mexico television station about what local restaurants are doing in the wake of 145 sick people in 16 states, and a national advisory from the Food and Drug Administration not to eat certain types of fresh tomatoes.
McDonald's praised for handwashing and food safety
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Levitt says that rather then succumb to the human rights "police," McDonald's fought back to protect the right of Canadians to eat safe food. It and Canadians lost.What Levitt learned from this decision is McDonald's is a stickler for cleanliness: Employees must wash their hands after every break, after cleaning their work area, before entering the production area, before putting on gloves, after shaking hands, after touching a door handle and on it goes. It is so focused on being sanitary that apart from all the previously mentioned instances, a bell goes off every hour, telling employees to wash their hands.
Besides good corporate citizenry, this reflects the law. It ensured McDonalds complied with the B.C. Health Act and the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's Food Protection Guidelines.
But Beena Dat could not comply. A skin condition prevented her from wearing gloves or regularly washing her hands. She went on disability and unsuccessfully attempted to return to work three separate times. Her specialist, Dr. Kit-son, opined he had no doubt, if she attempted to return to work, her "hands would disintegrate in a week." She could not return to any job involving exposure to soap and water, in his view, thereby eliminating "restaurant work of any kind."
Dat complained to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal who appointed Judy Parrack to decide the case, who decided Mc-Donald's should have cross-examined the specialist rather than taking his medical report at face value.
She also considered whether it was possible pieces of different jobs could have been extracted to create a position Ms. Dat could perform without frequently having to wash her hands.
This is despite Ms. Parrack's acknowledging all jobs at Mc-Donald's require handwashing and, depending on how busy a section is, any position might quickly take over for another.
Notably, Ms. Parrack found McDonald's liable for not attempting to construct such a position and awarded $50,000 in damages, including $25,000 for injury to Ms. Dat's "dignity, feelings and self-respect."
Worst of all, McDonald's was ordered to "cease the discriminatory conduct or similar conduct and refrain from committing such conduct in the future." One might think consumer safety should supercede the right of an employee with unclean hands!A colleague says maybe the judge should eat at McDonald's and be served only with dirty hands.
A Jason Lee stink palm pretzel, perhaps?
Egg McMuffins rock; creator dies
Peterson came up with idea for the signature McDonald's breakfast fare in 1972.Best thing McDonald's has come up with. Many a morning on the road has been fueled with Egg McMuffins. Thanks, Herb.
