A couple of local KFC customers got more than they paid for over the weekend after ordering a couple of burgers from the KFC branch next to at Spar in Makhado (Louis Trichardt.

Shortly after ordering eight rounder burgers, worms were discovered crawling about in the burgers. The order was immediately taken back to the shop and the incident was brought to the attention of the manager. At first the manager was a bit sceptical about the allegations but after investigating the burgers he also saw the worms. The customers, not willing to accept a replacement order, were later refunded in full.

The owner of the KFC franchise, Mr Eddie da Silva, admitted the incident to the Zoutpansberger. He assured residents, however, that the incident was only an isolated case and that the source of the worms was the lettuce. Mr Da Silva said it is a common problem faced by all green grocers and other fast-food outlets. He said that all the lettuce goes through an extensive cleaning process, called veggie wash, where it is cleared of worms and other unwanted elements. Mr Da Silva said the incident is unfortunate and that there must have been human error involved. He added that the complaint would help them to prevent this sort of thing from happening in future and that more care would be taken when the lettuce was being washed.

Mr Murray Willows, one of the directors of KFC, also commented on the incident and said that their standards are very high worldwide and that there are numerous challenges involved where fresh produce are handled. According to Willows, customers must always complain when something is wrong so that KFC’s services can be improved and customer satisfaction and good service can be ensured. He said that it is always better to complain directly to local KFC franchises, but that customers are welcome to complain to their KFC customer support centre in Johannesburg.