McDonald’s responds to claims Brisbane man found sharp plastic in burger

A Brisbane dad claims he has ongoing health issues after swallowing something in his Macca’s burger that shouldn’t have been there.

A Brisbane father who mistakenly swallowed and choked on a sharp piece of plastic while eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has shared his harrowing experience.

Craig Freeman, 50, from Brisbane, claims that when he bit into his “cheeky” Macca’s burger he inadvertently swallowed a large shard of plastic, which caused him to have internal bleeding, inflammation to his stomach, constant vomiting and a lesion.

Mr Freeman had popped in for a rare treat McDonald’s Victoria Point restaurant in the city’s southwest on December 8, 2024, when things went awry.

“Eating a takeaway is a rarity for my wife and I, but I was sneaky and thought I’d get a snack one afternoon,” he told The Herald Sun.

“I sent her a cheeky photo rubbing it in before I ate it and instantly couldn’t breathe.”

The piece of plastic inside the burger. Picture: Herald Sun

He continued: “I was struggling. I was hitting the back of my head, trying to dislodge what was stuck in my throat.

“I ended up having to stick my fingers so far down my throat to throw up.”

After he had brought up his food, he was shocked to discover that he had swallowed a hard, sharp piece of plastic.

“I was in shock but let it go until the next morning when I started feeling intense pain,” Mr Freeman recalled.

He went to his doctor that morning and got a CAT scan the following week, which he said revealed he had a “foreign object” in his colon, the longest part of the large intestine.

He had to bring up his food in order to dislodge the piece of plastic he had swallowed. Picture: Herald Sun

“They found an object in the scan that resembled the shard of plastic I had swallowed,” Mr Freeman alleged, “and I had severe inflammation in my lower abdomen”.

He was given anti-nausea medication and was advised by the doctor to take Gaviscon each morning for six months to help ease his sickness.

Mr Freeman’s abdominal X-ray showed a possible cylindrical foreign body on the left side of his abdomen, measuring approximately 27mm in length.

Pathology tests confirmed that he had drawn blood from his rear end.

“This correlates with the type of foreign body ingested,” his doctor said, according to Mr Freeman.

He has been compelled to speak out about the ordeal after McDonald’s told him it was closing the investigation. Picture: Herald Sun

Mr Freeman reported the incident to McDonald’s but said his last correspondence occurred on February 5, when he was informed that the burger chain would be closing its investigations.

“I was told that the store would contact me but I’m yet to hear and they’ve now had more than enough time,” he noted.

“I have spent thousands of dollars on scans and specialist appointments all from taking a bite of the burger.”

He now encourages all fast food customers to take care while eating and to ensure they look at what they’re consuming before taking a bite.

McDonald’s have responded saying it prioritises food safety. Picture: Charly TRIBALLEAU/AFP

A spokesperson for McDonald’s emphasised that the company prioritises food safety and follows rigorous processes and procedures to ensure quality.

“McDonald’s Victoria Point received a complaint regarding a foreign object in a burger on 9 December 2024,” a spokesperson said.

“We treat complaints of this nature very seriously and immediately undertook a thorough investigation both internally and with local council.

“Following a Council visit, no further action was required. We will follow up with the restaurant on reinforcing and retraining our people on our food safety protocols.

“We are now in direct contact with the customer and will continue to work directly with him.”

Originally published as McDonald’s responds to claims Brisbane man found sharp plastic in burger