Featured Image Credit: The Lange Law Firm/ Yu Chun Christopher Wong/S3studio/Getty Images
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, McDonalds, New York, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Food and Drink, Health, McDonalds, New York, US News
A customer suing McDonald's over its Big Mac cheese has admitted he still eats at the chain.
When ordering a Big Mac from a branch of the fast food chain in New York via DoorDash in 2021, Charles Olsen specified he wanted it without cheese.
Alas despite noting 'NO American cheese' on his order, a few bites into his burger the 28-year-old realised something was very wrong.
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Olsen, who has a milk allergy, claims he had ordered a Big Mac with 'NO American cheese' via food delivery service DoorDash 'many times' before and had no issues.
In 2021, he'd been on a night out with his friends and McDonald's was one of their 'go-to places,' but still checked his burger when it arrived, opening it to find it 'looked like it always did' when he ordered it, not spotting any signs of 'cheese melting over the sides,' he told the New York Post.
After a few bites, Olsen''s 'throat began to itch and swell,' a lawsuit filed on February 2 claims.
Initially, Olsen was 'just frustrated' the order was wrong, but then worryingly his symptoms took a turn for the worst.
The lawsuit continues: "He felt a burning sensation throughout his body. He looked at his girlfriend, Alexandra, and coughed, 'There’s milk in this!'" - Olsen was having an anaphylaxis reaction to the item.
Olsen quickly rushed to the hospital, but despite being given a handful of drugs to try and calm his reaction, he had to be intubated, according to the suit.
His girlfriend, Alexandra DiBenedetto, recalls staying 'awake all nigh terrified' watching on as Oslen 'struggle[d]' for his 'life'.
Oslen claims that he wasn't even sure he would 'make it'.
Three years later and Olsen has filed a lawsuit against the fast food chain to follow adequate food and allergy policies.
The question is, has he been back to the restaurant since?
Well, according to his lawyers, the branch of the McDonald's he ordered from - located at 255 8th Avenue - has since closed down.
However, Olsen admits he has ordered from other branches of the chain since, but just 'no longer trust[s] McDonald's to follow any order specifics such as not including cheese'.
He said: "Now I just order their fries and a plain burger, with nothing on it. Just the patty and bun. I just can’t take the risk that it’ll happen again."
While he has returned to the chain, Olsen notes he does avoid eating out at most restaurants as a result of the incident.
According to the Post, McDonald's sent a statement from the owner of the franchise that states: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers. We take every complaint seriously and are actively reviewing these claims.”
A spokesperson for the Lange Law Firm - representing Olsen - told UNILAD: "Every day, all across the country, restaurant customers are rushed to the emergency room, hospitalized, or worse after restaurants serve them food with undisclosed allergens.
"I represent the families of several people who died after a restaurant served them food with undisclosed allergens. Thank goodness that Charles survived. This traumatic event could have become a terrible tragedy."
UNILAD has contacted McDonald's for comment.