“I will eat a McDonald’s burger again, actually I would not mind one now,” said Kayla Bezuidenhout (13).
But she is being outvoted three to two by her siblings.
A frog found in her McDonald’s burger made national media headlines last week.
A post which was meant for family and friends on a social media platform spread like wildfire and had people commenting not only in South Africa but across the globe.
Kayla loves chicken burgers and McDonald’s is her second favourite takeaway food.
The Bezuidenhout family of seven, with two siblings Clara (5) and Milanke (3) being ill on the night of May 6, and Mom Angeline and Dad Willem on a healthier eating plan, the obvious and quickest choice for Kayla and her siblings was McDonald’s.
A quick order was placed on Mr Delivery and the Bezuidenhouts kept an eye on the tracking of the delivery process.
According to the app the order was selected at 17:40, collected by the delivery service at 17:50 and delivered at 17:57 minutes after the order.
Angeline opened the sealed package and set the children’s food out on the kitchen counter.
Kayla sat at the kitchen table with siblings, Dylan (11) and Jo-Ann (10) and took two bites of her burger.
On her third bite, she discovered two legs sticking out.
“I spat out everything that was still in my mouth. My siblings got scared and ran away.
“I went to my dad and told him there is a frog in my burger. He said it can’t be and went to look,” said Kayla.
Willem could not believe what he was seeing.
Angeline, who was in the bedroom with Kayla’s sick siblings, became irate because Kayla had told her there is a frog.
“Then she said: ‘Mommy, daddy is taking photos, there is a frog on my burger’,” said Angeline.
With a thermometer still in her hand, she walked down the hall, and could also not believe what she saw.
Kayla was put off the food for the rest of the evening and she was nauseous even till the next day.
“My teachers now call me McFroggie. Even my hockey coach calls me McFroggie,” said a laughing Kayla.
Kayla said from now on, she will closely inspect her food before she eats.
A meme was made of Secunda’s Brulburger with a huge toad between garnish and two buns. Angeline said at least the real frog is much smaller in comparison to the Brullburger meme.
The frog was about 2cm in size and it was the first time any of the Bezuidenhouts experienced such a surprise in their cuisine.
The negative comments on social media posts have affected them, but they handle the comments as they come.
“People have become very personal. If you don’t know me, rather don’t say anything. When it comes to my kids, it is even harder for me,” said Angeline.
They do understand that by posting this on social media they have put themselves out there, but the post was mainly intended for friends and family on their personal Facebook and based on their personal experience.
Comments have gone as far as accusing the family of planting the frog.
“Why would we go through all of that for an R60-burger and still have the audacity to take it back to McDonald’s?
“My children cringe for frogs. They won’t even climb in the swimming pool if there is a frog,” said Angeline.
Angeline said she is a strict mother and is against wasting food.
She always tells the children to eat the food that is packed for lunch and if not, to give it to someone at school who is hungry.
Fingers have also been pointed to the delivery service for tampering with the package, but Angeline said they tracked the order from the moment it was placed until it got to their door.
“We were contacted the Monday after the incident by Mr Delivery’s head office. The manager apologised and refunded us. I told him I did not expect a refund but he insisted,” said Angeline.
She was refunded on her Mr Delivery App straight after the phone call.
McDonald’s South Africa has since sent out a laboratory (Global Network of Accredited Laboratories) to collect the frozen and sealed package from the family home.
The package was collected on Saturday, May 14, for further investigation. McDonald’s South Africa sent the Ridge Times a media statement saying that McDonald’s South Africa is aware of the incident at their Secunda restaurant and confirms that it is being investigated.
“Our commitment to serving food to our customers will always remain a top priority in our business. We take this matter very seriously and are working with all parties to ensure this is resolved,” said Daniel Padiachy, chief of marketing, communications, IT and supply chain officer at McDonald’s SA.
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