WILMINGTON, N.C. - A man who ordered a pint of frozen chocolate custard in a dessert shop got a nasty surprise inside — a piece of severed finger lost by an employee in an accident.
Unlike a recent incident at a Wendy's restaurant in California, no questions of truth have been raised about the finger served up to go at Kohl's Frozen Custard and found later at home by Clarence Stowers.
Officials from the state departments of agriculture and labor went to the shop Monday, and the owner confirmed one of his employees lost part of a finger in an accident with a food-processing machine. It was not immediately clear how the severed finger got into the custard.
Wilmington television station WWAY reported that Stowers found the finger in frozen custard he purchased Sunday night.
Stowers, who did not immediately return calls Monday from The Associated Press, told the station: "I thought it was candy because they put candy in your ice cream ... to make it a treat. So I said, 'OK, well, I'll just put it in my mouth and get the ice cream off of it and see what it is.'"
Stowers said he spit the object out, but still couldn't identify it. So he went to his kitchen, rinsed it off with water — and "just started screaming."
Stowers said he planned to contact a lawyer.
Shop owner Craig Thomas did not immediately return a message left by the AP Monday.
Joe Reardon of the Agriculture Department's food and drug division said state officials closed the shop while the food processing equipment involved in the accident was cleaned and sanitized.
In March, a Las Vegas woman claimed she bit down on a 1 1/2 inch-long finger fragment while dining with her family at a Wendy's restaurant in San Jose, Calif.
Investigators have since called her claim a hoax and charged her last month with attempted grand theft related to millions in dollars of financial losses Wendy's has suffered since news of her claim broke.
Just makes you wanna run out to a food shop and get food dont it?
hi welcome to mcdonalds can i take your order?
yes my first order is for everyone to come up front and present fingers for inspection!
Guess now we need to ask the restaurant staff's to present all fingers & toes before we chow down. Gross!
Few years ago, they had a TV show about camera in places of business recording..unmentionable things. It was on the Fox Network. Well don't ever complain about the food at a fine restaurant. One guy did, sent his food back, & the camera showed the main chef, cussing in the back, & then the Chef said something about I'll bleep show him...and he took a leak in the food and sent it back to the customer! Was all captured on the camera.
Merrily I go putting in my day of work at lovely McDonalds...cutting the french fries...whisteling...OUCH!!!!
OMG!!!!...My...finger!!!!...OMG!!!!...blood everywhere...oh well. Wouldn't want the boss to find out about this little mishap. Ok well I'll just put the blood on that next Big Mac for that guy waiting at the counter. He DID ask for ketchup.
Let's see, what can I do with my finger, quick thinking now...let's not lose my head TOO! I see, oh a. ur..thinking... Eureka! That new batch of chicken tenders...the chicken isn't batter dipped yet. Ok perfect! Just take my finger, mix it in with all the raw chicken pieces, dip it in batter, deep fry it. Geez I hope this works or I'm screwed out of a job.
The timer says the tenders are done. Let's check. DAMN!!!! You'd never know there was a finger in there. Cool! It worked!
Oh and here comes a customer now.
Welcome to McDonalds.
Can I take your order?...grin :)
I saw a mouse crawl across the counter at a Carvel Ice Cream AFTER I had ordered a sundae and started to eat it. I nearly puked. I couldn't eat anything the rest of the day I was SO grossed out.
Good point - if you cut your finger off wouldn't you actually LOOK for it to see if it could be salvaged rather then say "ho-hum, ah well, could have been worse, must get on with that chocolate pudding now..."?
It does seem slightly suspicious that.