Man finds ants in his burritos
Sandwich discovery 'disgusting'

By CHRIS DOUCETTE
TORONTO SUN
Last Updated: 3rd January 2010, 10:35am

MARKHAM -- Having Aunt Martha stop by for dinner over the holiday season
is one thing, but having 50 ants for breakfast was more than Tommy Lam
could stomach. 

The jeweller said he found them lining his McDonald's burritos. 

"It was disgusting!" Lam told the Sun yesterday soon after he said he
made the gruesome discovery. 

The 28-year-old said he and his girlfriend stopped by the busy fast-food
restaurant at Markham Rd. and Denison St. around 11 a.m. yesterday to
grab a quick bite to eat on their way to work. 

After waiting 15 minutes in line, the couple said they ordered two
sausage and egg burrito combos to go, which includes a total of four
pita-wrapped sandwiches. 

Soon after, they sat down to eat at his business, Jewellery Box, just
around the corner at Steeles Ave. E. and Middlefield Rd. That's when Lam
claims they spotted dozens of ants inside and outside their burritos. 

NOT MOVING 

Fortunately, the little critters weren't crawling around. But that was
of little consolation to Lam, who had already eaten the first of his two
burritos. 

Whether or not that first sandwich was also laced with dead ants, Lam is
not sure. 

He doesn't even want to think about it. 

"I still can't believe this happened!" Lam said, shaking as he recalled
the ordeal. 

Finding the ants in his food was shocking enough, but Lam said he was
even more stunned by the reaction he received from the store manager
when he returned with the contaminated food. 

NO APOLOGY 

"He didn't even offer an apology," Lam said of the McDonald's manager, a
man who only identified himself to him as Keith. 

The one thing the manager did offer, Lam wanted no part of. 

"He offered to replace our burritos, that was it," Lam said. "I just
said, 'No thanks!' and walked out." 

Before yesterday, Lam said he stopped by the McDonald's regularly for
breakfast on his way to work. 

"But I'll never eat there again," he said. 

Lam said he later tried to contact McDonald's head offices and his local
public health department, but he wasn't able to reach anyone over the
long weekend. 

However, he still has the burritos and he vows that first thing tomorrow
morning he'll be demanding some answers. 

Staff at the McDonald's location referred the Sun's calls to the
company's head office. 

A message left on the Media Relations Centre line was not returned
yesterday. 

York Region Community and Health Services also could not be reached for
comment. 

CHRIS.DOUCETTE@SUNMEDIA.CA