McDonald’s Accidentally Serves Pregnant Customer Cleaning Fluid Instead Of Coffee

A McDonald’s in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, is quite literally in hot water after a crazy mix-up. According to USA Today, customer Sarah Douglas, who is pregnant with her third child, ordered a latte at the fast food location on Sunday and got the surprise of her life. When she went to sip the coffee, she realized that it wasn’t actually coffee that she was served — it was cleaning fluid.

“I immediately had to put my hazard lights on and pull over and spit it out and rise my mouth out.”

“I opened up the lid of the coffee and out pours this pungent smell of chemical,” she continued. “It wasn’t a latte at all.”

She then drove back to the McDonald’s location where she learned that she was served cleaning fluid instead of coffee. One employee explained to Douglas that each morning, they attach the cleaning lines to their coffee machines as a routine procedure. It appears that someone forgot to switch the cleaning lines back to the coffee lines and that’s why she was served that tainted drink. The publication says that the purpose of the cleaning product is intended to remove milk residue from the machine.

Douglas took a photo of the label that was a “coffee systems cleaning solution,” as well as the lengthy list of warning signs that came with it. Among many things, the label claims that the product can cause an allergic reaction or irritate the eyes if it is ingested. A supervisor at the restaurant offered to make Douglas another cup of coffee but she found the solution “unacceptable.” The store supervisor then gave her the manager’s contact information.

Dan Brown, who is the franchise owner at the location in which the tainted coffee was served, has since issued an apology statement to multiple news outlets.

“Since learning about the complaint, our team has been in very close contact with the guest and apologized to her,” Brown said in the statement. “The health inspector also visited my restaurant and is not investigating further. McDonald’s is renowned for its food safety protocols and I am sorry that this happened in my restaurant here in Lethbridge. What happened is that the machine was being cleaned – as it is every morning. Unfortunately, the milk supply line was connected to the cleaning solution while this guest’s drink was made.”

After the incident, Douglas contacted poison control and visited her doctor as she was concerned for her unborn baby’s health.