An employee at Wendy's branch in Catoosa, Oklahoma posts a video on Facebook showing mouse nibbling in one of the burger buns inside a packaging.
Skylar Frame, the employee who recorded the video, said she decided to do so because the branch's management was nonchalant to address the problem.
A fellow employee has also come out to share other health violations observed in the branch.
Mouse Nibbling On Wendy's Burger Bun
Frame said she first heard plastic rustling but did not think of anything suspicious until other employees shouted that there was a mouse inside the burger buns plastic. She told management about the incident but the managers thought that it was not really "that big of an issue."
Now that Frame decided to expose the branch's health violations, another employee, Samantha Niebelink, revealed that it was already the second incident that a mouse was found in the store. The first time she saw a mouse, she was instructed to just replace it with another package of buns from a new rack.
"That was just disgusting because last time there was rat feces it was dribbling underneath every other rack," Niebelink shared.
Other Health Violations In Wendy's Catoosa, Oklahoma
Both Frame and Niebelink said the branch has multiple health violations. They also threatened to resign if the managers continue their inactions.
Niebelink shared another incident where a sick employee went about making a sandwich without wearing gloves. The employee was allegedly rubbing his nose while he makes the sandwich.
Frame added that other employees were also leaving loose cigarettes in the area where they prepare the food.
Wendy's Statement
In a statement, Wendy's said the incident was an isolated one and that the mouse contamination occurred only at the store and not from Wendy's vendors or distributors. The statement assured that the franchisee who owned the Catoosa branch is taking the matter very seriously.
"[The franchisee] immediately launched an investigation with their pest control vendor and internal quality assurance experts to ensure immediate and appropriate action is taken," a spokesperson for Wendy's said.
After inspection, the local health department reportedly ruled out any health violations taking place at the branch.
Dangers Of Eating Food Bitten By Mouse
Rodents are associated with a number of health problems. Rats and mice could spread more than 35 different diseases when people touch a live or even a dead mouse. A disease could also spread through rodent's feces, urine, saliva, and bites.
These diseases could also be transferred to humans indirectly through fleas and ticks that bit an infected rodent.
Rodents' feces could trigger an allergic reaction and spread salmonella. In worst cases, rodents could cause hantavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, plague, and tularemia.
