bloodrayne
10-12-2004, 12:16 AM
Experts Know What Made McDonald's Customers Sick
The test results are in. Health investigators say they know what caused 121 people to get violently ill after eating at a Piqua McDonald's. It all started when the shake machine suffered some sort of mechanical malfunction. Thursday health department officials said that malfunction seems to have provided the ideal environment for an organism called staphylococcus to grow. That organism in the shakes and ice cream made 121 customers very sick.
Once officials at the Piqua McDonald's realized there was a problem, they replaced the contaminated machine with a new one.
Still, some of the customers who got sick decided to file a lawsuit.
Patrick Johnson said, "When you're constantly puking up blood and it's coming out both ends and it drag on for four days and your headache constantly hurts, that's a constant reminder of the three dollar milk shake you just had."
Stacy Hinkle says the people who filed the class action lawsuit are out for money.
She says she and her daughter would eat there again, and she'd even order a shake.
Hinkle said, "I feel that it is just a little mistake and I'm sure it will never happen again."
Benny Scott, the owner of that McDonalds released a statement that said, "This is an unfortunate incident involving a malfunctioning piece of equipment. We have an excellent food safety and sanitation record."
The Piqua Health Department is still investigating the situation.
The test results are in. Health investigators say they know what caused 121 people to get violently ill after eating at a Piqua McDonald's. It all started when the shake machine suffered some sort of mechanical malfunction. Thursday health department officials said that malfunction seems to have provided the ideal environment for an organism called staphylococcus to grow. That organism in the shakes and ice cream made 121 customers very sick.
Once officials at the Piqua McDonald's realized there was a problem, they replaced the contaminated machine with a new one.
Still, some of the customers who got sick decided to file a lawsuit.
Patrick Johnson said, "When you're constantly puking up blood and it's coming out both ends and it drag on for four days and your headache constantly hurts, that's a constant reminder of the three dollar milk shake you just had."
Stacy Hinkle says the people who filed the class action lawsuit are out for money.
She says she and her daughter would eat there again, and she'd even order a shake.
Hinkle said, "I feel that it is just a little mistake and I'm sure it will never happen again."
Benny Scott, the owner of that McDonalds released a statement that said, "This is an unfortunate incident involving a malfunctioning piece of equipment. We have an excellent food safety and sanitation record."
The Piqua Health Department is still investigating the situation.