January 2nd was a reasonably normal day for 59-year-old Linda MacDonald. The grandmother of one was preparing to go to her health care job. But first she wanted to pick up an easy lunch.

It was here at this McDonald’s restaurant on Great North Road in Auckland. Linda went through the drive-thru and ordered an Angus Burger Combo. But little did she realize she would be dining at McDonald’s for the very last time.

From here Linda then returned to her workplace, where she opened the bag and started sharing the burger with her colleague—and there it was.

[Linda MacDonald, McDonald’s Customer]:
“There was this maggot about the length of my thumbnail really happily wriggling and it was like I dropped the box and I just flew from the room and I just started to vomit, I just vomited.”

When Linda and her colleague called to report the incident, the restaurant offered her vouchers for more burgers. She couldn’t believe it and turned them down. She was later sent some shopping mall vouchers. But she says that all she really wanted was an apology.

McDonald’s declined an interview with NTD. But a statement on the McDonald’s website said:

“The point of contamination was hard to determine, and… it was unlikely to have come from the McDonald’s restaurant… This [statement] was supported by a visit from an Auckland City Council environmental health officer, at the request of the restaurant.”

But Linda and her colleague remain unhappy with the investigation and the way they’ve been treated in the process. They say that the chain has used all sorts of ways to try to duck the blame.

[Philip Senthi, Friend]:
“They need to treat customers with some respect and empathy because people aren’t always trying to pull a scam on you Mc Donald’s and customers are the reason why you are such a big company, you know. That’s the annoying thing.”

This is not the first time Mc Donald’s has been slammed for their hygiene standards. Last year a customer just north of Auckland claimed to have opened a Big Mac burger and found maggots crawling around on top of the patty—although a health authority investigation at the time was inconclusive.

But maggots or not, McDonald’s doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. With 150 restaurants across the country, the cars just keep queuing up and customers seem to be “Lovin’ it.”

Gina Shakespeare, NTD News, Auckland, New Zealand.