Trending News: Fast food has become a popular option for food lovers around the world who are looking for a quick and affordable meal. These fast food chains are known for their high standards of quality and instant service. However, McDonald's UK franchise was recently fined up to $596,500 (Rs 4.87 crore approx.) after a customer found mouse droppings in his burger at their Leytonstone drive-thru outlet in East London.
The incident was reported to local health authorities, who found a rodent infestation at the outlet and forced it to shut down for ten days until health concerns were resolved. The franchise pleaded guilty to violating hygiene standards and was ordered to pay the fine for posing a risk to the health of their customers.
The discovery of the unhygienic conditions at McDonald's was made by a customer who noticed the mouse droppings halfway through eating the cheeseburger. Environmental Health Officers visited the restaurant after a complaint was filed in 2021 and found several areas in the kitchen that were greasy, dirty, and dusty, as well as the decomposing remains of a mouse and numerous mouse droppings throughout the premises. The restaurant was closed for ten days after the officers deemed it posed an 'imminent risk to health' and was later reopened after the Council was satisfied with the health conditions.
The Waltham Forest Council shared pictures of the dirty restaurant at the time of the inspection and announced that the fast food chain was charged £4,75,000 plus £22,000 in costs at Thames Magistrates' Court.
In response to the incident, McDonald's UK issued an apology and stated that they were committed to the highest standards of health, safety, quality, and hygiene. They fell short of the standards they set themselves across all their restaurants in this instance and conducted a full review of policy and procedures at both a local and national level to ensure that an issue of this nature does not occur again.
