Mum blasts council for failing to test KFC chicken "mouse dropping"

A MUM has blasted Lewisham Council for failing to test her KFC chicken after she complained about a suspected rodent dropping and “undercooked meat”.

Terri was shocked by what she saw when she started eating the Family Feast chicken meal she bought for her family from KFC in Lewisham High Street.

The 34-year-old immediately stopped her daughters from eating the chicken after spotting a dark brown “foreign object” in the meat.

She reported her discovery to Lewisham Council’s environmental health team and kept the meal sealed in her fridge – as advised – so it could be tested by the local authority.

However, no one ever came to inspect the chicken, despite her chasing the council multiple times.

Terri believed the dark brown "foreign object" was a rodent dropping — **PICTURED: Terri believed the dark brown “foreign object” on her drumstick was a rodent dropping**

Lewisham Council has now apologised for not responding to the mum and said its food safety team deemed her report as “non-urgent” after concluding the “foreign object” was not a dropping.

Terri told the Lewisham Letter: “I was told to seal it in my fridge so I did that and I kept it so the council could examine it.

“Then I waited and waited for weeks but no one came. I only got one email from the council – from a food safety officer saying he had tried to call me. They didn’t follow it up. It’s pitiful.

“They shouldn’t be getting paid for doing a job they’re not doing. It’s ridiculous.”

**PICTURED: The 34-year-old wants the council to properly investigate future complaints**

According to a job advert posted by Lewisham Council on LinkedIn, a food safety officer is paid between £53k and £55k.

Terri added: “This is my community, if everyone in the area is eating from there and there’s potentially a hazard at least check it out.

“It makes me lose trust in all of the restaurants because they’re not investigating. If individual reports like mine are not properly investigated then serious issues could easily be missed.

“It shows Lewisham Council don’t care enough about us, it’s just a job to them.”

**PICTURED: Terri kept the chicken in her fridge for weeks waiting for the council to inspect it**

Terri said her suspicions about the chicken were confirmed when she consulted ChatGPT and asked it what her picture of the drumstick she found the “dropping” in looked like.

ChatGPT told her it appeared to be uncooked chicken and the “foreign object” resembled a mouse dropping.

The mum, founder of a confectionery firm called Sweet Tooth, said she was so worried she rang 111, asking for advice as her daughters – aged four and one – had already eaten some of the food.

Sharing the moment she found the suspected dropping, Terri said: “I ripped open the drumstick open and then saw it.

“I couldn’t believe it so I showed my partner and said “‘what does this look like’. I then did the same with my mum.

**PICTURED: She bought the Family Feast chicken box from KFC in Lewisham High Street**

“I didn’t tell either of them what I thought it was because I didn’t want to sway their opinion. They both thought it was a dropping.”

Terri reported the issue to Lewisham Council’s environmental health team the day after she bought the chicken on November 16.

She received a response from a council food safety officer in December, however this was the last contact she had from the local authority, despite Terri chasing up.

She didn’t report the issue to KFC because she wanted the council to carry out an unannounced inspection.

When approached by the Lewisham Letter for comment, KFC denied that the pictures taken by Terri showed a rodent dropping, insisting it was instead a piece of burnt breading.

A spokesman for the company said: “Food quality and hygiene are extremely important to us, and we have strict procedures in place across our restaurants.

“Having reviewed the images shared, we’re confident the chicken in Terri’s meal was fully cooked. Chicken on the bone can naturally look darker or slightly pink even when properly cooked, especially compared to breast meat.

“We can also see a small piece of burnt breading in Terri’s order. While this can occasionally happen as part of fresh food preparation, burnt breading shouldn’t be there, and we’ll be reaching out to Terri to make things right.”

A Lewisham Council spokesman added: “Our food safety team reviewed the photographs and concluded that it was highly unlikely that the item was a mouse dropping.

“The premises currently hold a Food Hygiene Rating of 5, and with no similar complaints or reports of illness, the matter was assessed as non‑urgent.

“We acknowledge that the complainant did not receive a response to her email in December and we apologise for this oversight.

“As an extra precaution, we have arranged a further food inspection later this week.”

Home » News » Mum blasts council for failing to test KFC chicken “mouse dropping”

Mum blasts council for failing to test KFC chicken “mouse dropping”

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