Teh One Who Knocks
05-05-2021, 10:48 AM
Deborah M. Marko - Vineland Daily Journal
https://i.imgur.com/KTuTxgE.jpg
MILLVILLE – A Millville mom is suing her local McDonald's, claiming a family takeout dinner included a burger wrapper stained with feces.
The fast-food giant, though, says an investigation found no proof to back up Amanda Bordois' claim.
Bordois contends her family was sickened and suffered emotional distress after eating food purchased Jan. 13 at the North High Street drive-thru, according to a six-count civil suit filed last week in Cumberland County Superior Court.
After bringing the food home, Bordois said she and her daughter started to eat french fries out of one of the McDonald's bags.
When the girl reached into the same bag and took out a burger, she “noticed a brown substance all over the wrapper of the burger and on (her) right hand," according to the complaint.
Initially they thought it was grease, but then there was a “horrible stench,” Bordois said.
Bordois threw out the rest of the food as she was "nauseous, disgusted and sick that she and her child just consumed french fries touching the burger wrapper covered in feces and in the same bag as the fries they had eaten," the suit states.
The suit alleges JDKD Enterprises/McDonald’s failed to prepare, package, and serve food in a safe, sanitary manner as required by law.
“Serving safe, high quality food is always our top priority and we take this claim seriously," said John Durante of JDKD Enterprises of Sewell, the owner and operator of the McDonald's.
"We have taken the appropriate steps to investigate this matter and have been unable to substantiate the claim,” Durante said in a statement released by McDonald's USA.
Immediately after the incident, Bordois said she repeatedly called the fast food restaurant, but no one answered the phone. Then the family contacted police.
"I looked into the bag and observed what appeared to be feces on the wrapper of a burger in the bag," Officer Kevin Gandy wrote in his report.
Gandy went to the McDonald’s and spoke with the manager who said the claim was “not possible” because he's the one who puts items in the bag and would have noticed something on his gloves.
The Cumberland County Health Department was notified of the claim and an on-site inspection was conducted on Jan.15. That report noted an employee was observed putting on gloves to handle food without first washing their hands. The matter was listed in the retail food inspection report as a repeat violation and corrected on site.
The restaurant maintained its satisfactory rating after the inspection.
Despite her offer, Bordois said no health official came to collect the “evidence.”
“We actually did save it,” she said.
Pursuing the legal action raises awareness of the importance of food handling safety and proper hygiene, Bordois said, filing the complaint on behalf of herself and her daughter. They are represented by attorney, Caroline Castellani of Northfield.
The plaintiffs "continue to suffer severe emotional distress, shock and mental anguish, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, heightened anxiety (and) were required to seek medical treatment,” the suit states.
They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as their attorney and legal fees.
https://i.imgur.com/KTuTxgE.jpg
MILLVILLE – A Millville mom is suing her local McDonald's, claiming a family takeout dinner included a burger wrapper stained with feces.
The fast-food giant, though, says an investigation found no proof to back up Amanda Bordois' claim.
Bordois contends her family was sickened and suffered emotional distress after eating food purchased Jan. 13 at the North High Street drive-thru, according to a six-count civil suit filed last week in Cumberland County Superior Court.
After bringing the food home, Bordois said she and her daughter started to eat french fries out of one of the McDonald's bags.
When the girl reached into the same bag and took out a burger, she “noticed a brown substance all over the wrapper of the burger and on (her) right hand," according to the complaint.
Initially they thought it was grease, but then there was a “horrible stench,” Bordois said.
Bordois threw out the rest of the food as she was "nauseous, disgusted and sick that she and her child just consumed french fries touching the burger wrapper covered in feces and in the same bag as the fries they had eaten," the suit states.
The suit alleges JDKD Enterprises/McDonald’s failed to prepare, package, and serve food in a safe, sanitary manner as required by law.
“Serving safe, high quality food is always our top priority and we take this claim seriously," said John Durante of JDKD Enterprises of Sewell, the owner and operator of the McDonald's.
"We have taken the appropriate steps to investigate this matter and have been unable to substantiate the claim,” Durante said in a statement released by McDonald's USA.
Immediately after the incident, Bordois said she repeatedly called the fast food restaurant, but no one answered the phone. Then the family contacted police.
"I looked into the bag and observed what appeared to be feces on the wrapper of a burger in the bag," Officer Kevin Gandy wrote in his report.
Gandy went to the McDonald’s and spoke with the manager who said the claim was “not possible” because he's the one who puts items in the bag and would have noticed something on his gloves.
The Cumberland County Health Department was notified of the claim and an on-site inspection was conducted on Jan.15. That report noted an employee was observed putting on gloves to handle food without first washing their hands. The matter was listed in the retail food inspection report as a repeat violation and corrected on site.
The restaurant maintained its satisfactory rating after the inspection.
Despite her offer, Bordois said no health official came to collect the “evidence.”
“We actually did save it,” she said.
Pursuing the legal action raises awareness of the importance of food handling safety and proper hygiene, Bordois said, filing the complaint on behalf of herself and her daughter. They are represented by attorney, Caroline Castellani of Northfield.
The plaintiffs "continue to suffer severe emotional distress, shock and mental anguish, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, heightened anxiety (and) were required to seek medical treatment,” the suit states.
They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as their attorney and legal fees.