Not-So-Happy Meal: Woman Finds Worm in Hackettstown McDonald's Fries

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Giovanna Messina worked all day, and the only thing the chef could think about was getting a quick, easy meal late into the night.

So when the Washington Borough resident grabbed a late night meal from the Hackettstown McDonald’s, she was hoping it would hit the spot before going to bed.

But what the 21-year-old didn’t expect was for her meal to be, in part, alive.

“There it was, out in the open, still moving,” Messina told Patch. She described what she found as a brown, textured worm that was still moving inside the French fry container.

Her appetite gone, Messina took a couple of photos of the evidence and promptly called the store location. After three tries to contact a manager, Messina finally got through on the fourth attempt, well after midnight. The manager on duty apologized and offered Messina a refund, along with another set of fries, if she was interested in the latter.

After receiving her first order of cold, stale, worm-touched fries, Messina declined.

When reached about the issue Friday, store manager Angela Viscuso – not the same manager who was on duty the night before – told Patch she was “surprised” when she first heard of the issue upon opening the store.

“We’ve had no issues in the past,” Viscuso said. “We’re having this checked out.”

The Warren County Department of Health will take action and conduct a violation if Messina lodges a complaint, said Christine Compton, an employee with the office.

Messina said she's emailed the fast food giant's corporate headquarters and is awaiting a response. A longtime McDonald’s customer, Messina said Friday she’ll never return to that establishment.

Photos Courtesy Giovanna Messina