Pregnant woman served cleaning fluid instead of latte at McDonald’s

The owner of the franchise has issued an apology.

A pregnant Canadian woman was served a cleaning solution instead of the latte she ordered after stopping at a McDonald's. Sarah Douglas, who is more than seven months pregnant with her third child, was taking her son to a baseball tournament on Sunday in Lethbridge, Alberta when she stopped at the drive-thru for a cup of coffee, according to CBC. She says that she knew something was wrong right after she took a sip and pulled over so she could spit out the drink. She told the broadcaster:

"I immediately had to put my hazard lights on and pull over and spit it out and rinse my mouth out with ... water. "I opened up the lid of the coffee and out pours this pungent smell of chemical. It wasn't a latte at all."

Ms Douglas returned to the restaurant to complain, where she says that one of the staff members told her two cleaning lines were hooked up to the coffee machine. She contacted Alberta Health Services’ Health Link, before being transferred to poison control. She told CBC that she feels she had a stroke of luck, as she didn't actually swallow the liquid and does not appear to have any lingering effects. Alberta Health Services confirmed to the publication that AHS Environmental Public Health is investigating a complaint about something that happened at a restaurant in the area. Dan Brown, the owner of the McDonald's franchise, issued a statement to the publication - as he confirmed they had been in touch with Ms Douglas about the situation. He also said that a health inspector has since visited the restaurant and would not be investigating further. He said:

"McDonald's is renowned for its food safety protocols and I am sorry that this happened in my restaurant here in Lethbridge. "What happened is that the machine was being cleaned as it is every morning. Unfortunately, the milk supply line was connected to the cleaning solution while this guest's drink was made. "We have taken immediate action to review the proper cleaning procedures with the team and have put additional signage up as an added reminder."

Ms. Douglas told the broadcaster that she was sharing her story to make sure that nobody else had to go through the same experience - as she confirmed that the franchise owner had been in contact to apologise. She explained that she was concerned that if cleaning solutions like the one used for the coffee machine were used on the juice,  soda or soft-serve machines, a child could ingest the same chemicals. She added:

"As a mother, I want to make sure I have voice and that I'm being heard in terms of the safety of consumers."