Charges expected after video appears to show McDonald’s worker contaminating fries
By Penny Kmitt
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SOUTHBRIDGE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A viral video taken at a Southbridge, Massachusetts McDonald’s is leading to criminal charges and concerns about food contamination.
The video appears to show a fast food employee stuffing two handfuls of French fries in her mouth and then putting them into a red McDonald’s fry container that another employee is holding.
“You want French fries today, right?” the worker says in the video.
Southbridge police confirmed that they will be filing charges against the worker Monday in Dudley District Court. The identity of the employee and the charges they’ll face have not yet been disclosed. The department said it received numerous calls and online tips from the public since the video went viral.
Police had previously said in a May 8 statement that they were aware of a video “involving an employee at a local fast food restaurant allegedly contaminating food before it was served.”
“At this time, the matter is being addressed in coordination with the Board of Health and restaurant management,” the department. “We are also working to determine whether the food was ultimately served to a customer and to identify any individual who may have been affected.”
The Spadea & Balducci Family, which owns and operates the Southbridge McDonald’s, said they are working with police and the local health department, which they said found no public health concerns or violations during a visit earlier this month.
“The actions of these individuals are unacceptable and do not reflect our organization’s food safety standards or values,” they said. “The wellbeing and safety of our Southbridge community remains our top priority, and we are taking swift appropriate actions.”
Southbridge is about 60 miles west of Boston.
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