Checkers responds to viral video of employee throwing burger bun on floor

Mary Bowerman | USA TODAY Network

A video of an employee at Checkers throwing a hamburger bun on the floor and proceeding to prepare it for consumption has left many customers with a bad taste in their mouths.

The video was originally posted on Facebook, then to YouTube on Tuesday, and has racked up hundreds of thousands of views. In the clip, a female worker rubs a bun on the floor and then places it on the sandwich production line, as coworkers laugh.

On Wednesday, a day after the video was posted to YouTube, the fast-food chain released a video statement addressing the disturbing video.

Lori Malcolm, the senior vice president of human resources at Checkers, said she was "appalled and disappointed" by the video.

Malcolm said she spoke with the employee and her mother following the incident, and was assured that the tainted sandwich was "never served to a guest."

On the video Malcolm noted that "while the employee is very apologetic, these actions are completely unacceptable and do not reflect our values or commitment to food quality."

She said Checkers has more than "18,000 hard-working team members" and the incident does not reflect typical food preparation behavior.

The video was taken several weeks ago at a Checkers in the suburbs of Baltimore, Md.

According to Malcolm, the employees who were a part of the video are no longer working for the company.

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