A strict vegetarian and devout Muslim was horrified to discover she was eating pork half-way through her McDonald's meal. Sixteen-year-old Jasmin Athas ordered a veggie melt meal at the chain's restaurant in Rose Crescent, Cambridge - only to find it contained a large rasher of bacon. Jasmin, who was visiting the UK from Sri Lanka and had spent the day in Cambridge because she plans to apply to university here, was shocked and felt sickened when she realised what she was eating.
Her uncle, Nick Tillekeratne, from Slough, was with Jasmin and her mother at the time. He said: "It was only when Jasmin began eating the veggie melt that she realised there was bacon in it.
"Believing that McDonald's has a worldwide reputation for quality, and great respect for the dietary habits of their customers, she did not bother to check. But a part-eaten piece of bacon fell out and that's how the shocking discovery was made."
Jasmin said: "I felt disgusted. I have been a vegetarian for 10 years and I am also a Muslim - we never even have pork in the house. I was very upset. You don't expect that from a big company like McDonald's." When they asked to speak to the manager, he apologised and offered a free meal voucher - but the voucher is redeemable only at the Rose Crescent outlet.
Mr Tillekeratne, 39, an accountant, said: "Jasmin was devastated. She felt sick for a week afterwards at the thought of eating bacon, which she has never eaten in her life. She has been a vegetarian for 10 years and somebody just destroyed that. I have written to the company but I have not received any response or any official apology."
A McDonald's spokesman told the News: "Naturally we were very concerned to hear of this customer's experience and that on this rare, isolated occasion we did not meet our usual high standards. We also appreciate how upsetting it must have been for her to consume a product that is against her religious beliefs and we offer our sincerest apologies. This was a case of genuine human error and we are taking the matter extremely seriously. The restaurant launched a full investigation at the time of the incident, with the staff members working on that shift." |