McDonald's Customer Finds Detergent Pod In Drink He Received From Employee At Drive-Thru

A fast-food customer in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday, claimed he found a laundry detergent pod in a soft drink he ordered at a drive-thru window.

Lee Graves believes a beverage he received at a McDonald’s drive-thru was spiked and claimed to have found a detergent pod inside the cup after he asked for an exchange because it was the wrong size. He said the employee who handled his order appeared to be bothered by his request and had an attitude before she made the swap.

"The girl hands me a small Coke and as I'm talking on the phone I politely whisper to her, 'ma'am this is supposed to be a large, I ordered a large coke.' Well, she mumbled something, I could not understand what she said. She shut the window," Graves told WPTV, an NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Graves took a sip, which he claimed had a chlorine-like taste. After he removed the lid, he said he discovered what looked like a blue substance floating on the surface.

"As I'm leaving the parking lot the Coke just starts to explode everywhere. It erupted like a darn volcano that's a science experiment that a kid would do," he said.

"My initial response was is it's spewing all over my brand new truck. I don't want Coke all over my truck. So, I grab it and I take a couple of gulps to stop it from foaming. My initial impression was that it tasted like chlorine."

An hour had passed before he noticed a square-shaped object that seemed to be a detergent pod at the bottom of the cup.

Worried and feeling nauseous after his discovery, Graves said he checked himself into UF Health Jacksonville where he received treatment for "bleach and chlorine poisoning."

"The doctor called McDonald's personally and McDonald's told him there are two blue substances at the restaurant. They said that they use a blue bleach pod to wash their towels. And that's what we're assuming it was a blue bleach pod." he said.

Graves shared his story on social media alleging that he has filed complaints with McDonald's, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida health department. As of Monday, his Facebook post has generated over 34,000 shares and 2,600 likes.

Graves said he thinks the employee who replaced his drink that day was the one responsible for the detergent pod. The woman, who has not been identified, recalled swapping out Graves' drink, however, she denied being responsible for the bleach.

Edgard Gerena, the owner of the McDonald's franchise, issued a statement claiming that the incident was currently under investigation.

"Serving my customers safe, high-quality food and beverages is a top priority for me. We take this claim very seriously and are investigating the matter," she told WJXT in Jacksonville.