McDonald’s stands by independent investigation

McDonald’s stands by independent investigation findings

McDonald’s stands by its investigation into a customer complaint around claims a fly larva was found on packaging after visiting one of the company’s restaurants on 2 January.

Managing Director Mark Hawthorne says: “We are sorry that Ms MacDonald had an unpleasant experience but we can’t ignore the independent investigation results that point to the larva coming from an alternative source.”

He adds that the franchisees of the restaurant have met with the customer on two occasions in January, including visiting her workplace on the day of complaint.

After a lengthy and comprehensive investigation of the customer’s concerns, McDonald’s confirmed with her on 18 January that the point of contamination was hard to determine, and that it was unlikely to have come from the McDonald’s restaurant given the expert advice received from the independent laboratory.

This was supported by a visit from an Auckland City Council environmental health officer, at the request of the restaurant.

An independent laboratory confirmed the larva was from a syrphid fly – a fly that feeds on aphids and other small insects on a wide range of host plants, including citrus, subtropical fruit trees and produce. The lab confirmed that the larva was dead, was not exposed to heat, and was not associated with the Angus patty.

“We pride ourselves on our stringent hygiene and quality standards and it was not surprising to learn that the independent investigation into this incident found that the point of contamination was unlikely to have come from our restaurant,” says Mr Hawthorne.

“We believe Mrs MacDonald is genuine in her concerns, however it is obviously very difficult to confirm what has happened here. We have not spoken with the customer since our last communication on 18 January, so were unaware that she was unhappy with this outcome, and we’ll be contacting her today.”

ENDS

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