In a truly disturbing revelation that has caused widespread concern on social media, a customer recently claimed to have found a cigarette inside a McDonald’s meal box meant for a child.
The incident, which reportedly occurred at the McDonald’s outlet on Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru, came to light after the customer shared the experience on X (formerly Twitter), tagging major stakeholders like @McDonaldsIndia, @fssaiindia, @zomato, and Zomato CEO @deepigoyal, demanding swift action.
The customer had ordered a “Minicraft” meal for her niece through the Zomato app. But what was meant to be a joyful treat turned into a horrifying moment when a cigarette was allegedly found inside the meal box. Shocked and alarmed, she took to social media to highlight the incident, also sharing a screenshot of her LinkedIn post where she detailed the episode.
Describing it as more than just a case of negligence, the customer wrote that it was “an insensitive violation of food safety standards and a complete failure of quality control.” She also expressed deep concern about what could have happened had the child unknowingly consumed or handled the cigarette, emphasizing the potential danger of such lapses.
The user added, “Global brands must be held accountable, specifically when children’s health is at stake.”
In her post, she urged McDonald’s and Zomato to take immediate action, tweeting:
“Ordered a Minicraft meal for my niece from McDonald’s Banerghhata road, Bangalore – found a cigarette inside the box.
This is beyond shocking and dangerous!
@McDonaldsIndia @fssaiindia @zomato @deepigoyal
please take urgent action.
#FoodSafety #McDonaldsIndia”
Companies Respond
The alarming nature of the post quickly gained attention, prompting responses from both McDonald’s and Zomato.
McDonald’s responded by requesting additional details to investigate the matter further:
“Hi! We’d like to get this checked. Please help us with your contact number, invoice details, and the store’s precise location so we can assist you further.”
Zomato also addressed the issue seriously, replying:
“This is deeply concerning, and we want to get to the bottom of it. Please DM us your order ID so we can raise this with the restaurant immediately.”