McDonald's hit by spitting email hoax

Staff mishandling 'white people's hamburgers'

By Linda Harrison in New York • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 12th February 2001 22:33 GMT

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McDonald's has fallen foul of an email claiming its staff were filmed spitting on customers' food.

The hoax email stated that South Africa's M-Net TV show Carte Blanche had footage of McDonald's workers "spitting on white people's hamburgers when ordered," according to ITWeb.

Carte Blanche denied the rumours, but is obviously not the fast food chain's biggest fan.

"An urban legend relating to a well-known hamburger fast-food chain is currently circulating in SA. This false rumour states that Carte Blanche has captured hidden camera visuals of the fast-food chain's employees allegedly mishandling food meant for customers," the Carte Blanche Website states today.

"The programme does not have such footage in its possession. Should we acquire such footage, we will be the first to broadcast it."

A source told ITWeb that McDonald's business was down 20 per cent last week - partly due to the spitting rumours, and partly due to the current economic climate.

McDonald's denied the email had damaged sales. ®