Burger King Employee Served Fries Dumped in Trash to Customers: Police

Publish date: 2024-07-23

A South Carolina Burger King employee allegedly took fries dumped in the trash and served them to customers, according to police.

Assistant manager Jaime Christine Major, 39, was charged with tampering with food on Monday following an investigation into the quality of menu items being served to customers, news station KWTX reported.

Officers first arrived at the restaurant when they were called to reports of a disturbance on July 9. When police arrived, they heard two women arguing with staff and making threats while yelling profanities.

The network reported an officer asked the women to calm down but that they were still being loud. Later, the officer arrested the women on disorderly conduct charges.

But police later received a complaint on July 11 with claims that fries thrown in a trashcan had been served to customers.

A Union County inmate search seen by Newsweek showed Major was arrested on July 17 and charged the same day in connection with the allegations. She was held in the Union County Detention Center and a $20,000 has been set.

The same inmate database also revealed that Major was no longer being held at the center as of July 19.

Newsweek reached out to the Union County Sheriff's Office for comment via email.

A Burger King spokesperson told Newsweek: "These allegations do not align to the brand's commitment to quality food and service and creating an exceptional Guest experience. The Franchisee of this restaurant is cooperating with local authorities and will take appropriate action based on the findings. As this remains an ongoing investigation, we are unable to share additional details at this time."

South Carolina law states that it is unlawful for a person to maliciously tamper with a human drug product or food item with the intent to do bodily harm to a person. It adds that anyone convicted is guilty of a felony and can face up to 20 years in prison.

Eating contaminated food can result in illness and even death in severe cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several symptoms that could be the result of food poisoning, which include:

The CDC added an estimated 48 million Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year.

There are several steps that most people can take to prevent food poisoning, including cleaning work surfaces and washing their hands. Cooking food properly can kill harmful bacteria and separating raw meat, seafood, and eggs from other foods while preparing can also limit your risk.

The CDC said refrigerating leftovers within two hours of eating or one hour if it is exposed to a temperature above 90 F can also help with avoiding any food poisoning risks.

Update 07/19/23, 10:44 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a Burger King spokesperson.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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