(Source: KFC website) (Source: KFC website)

The Chandigarh consumer forum has directed a multinational fast food restaurant outlet in the city to pay Rs 40,000 to a Mohali resident who found a “long hair” in a chicken rice bowl.

As per a complaint, Sanjot Singh Sidhu went to have lunch at KFC in Sector 34, Chandigarh, on August 28, 2017.

Sidhu stated that when he opened the box to eat his rice bowl, he found a long hair in it and when he pulled out the hair, three chicken pieces were found attached to it. Agitated over it, Sidhu immediately called the authorities to change the rice bowl, but they refused to do the same, neither did they compensate.

Accordingly, Sidhu approached the Food Safety Officer, Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, who, in their report, opined that the sample was unsafe. Taking the report, Sidhu then moved the consumer forum in Chandigarh.

The KFC, Sector 34, outlet, in its reply, admitted that a bill was issued for the order on August 28, but it was not issued to the complainant. The restaurant also said that the complainant never called it as alleged, and that the food safety officer never approached it to procure the sample. Similarly, no report of the food analyst was ever received by them, added the reply.

During the trial of the matter, the forum went through the report of the Food Analyst, Haryana, which showed that the sample of the chicken rice bowl was analysed and the analysis report concluded that it contained a hair of about 15 cm in length. In his ultimate analysis, the food analyst opined, “the sample contains a piece of hair whereas it should be free from the same. Hence the sample is of unsafe food”.

The forum, in the judgment released on Friday, observed, “…It’s just so off putting and one certainly do(es)n’t expect to find a hair in food which he/she has paid good money for. We are of the firm opinion that only vigilant person will try to move to the food safety officer and then to this forum to get justice…”

“…Be that as it may, to our mind, the OP (Opposite Party)-restaurant should make things right and offer some kind of compensation when these things happen. Whether it’s a free drink, taking a percentage off the bill, or giving some kind of gift card to apologise for the bad experience. Not doing anything is just bad customer service…”, read the judgment. Thus holding the restaurant guilty, the forum directed them to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation and Rs 10,000 as litigation to the complainant.

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