The Time Human Flesh Was Found Inside An Arby's Sandwich
One of the biggest problems with restaurants is that you can never really see what goes on behind the scenes. Although it's pretty obvious if a member of the staff has had a bad day (those hateful stares are always a giveaway), deeper crises can be hidden from public view — such as in the strictly private place of the kitchen.
While we all like to think that restaurant kitchens are the epitome of hygiene and safety, inevitably things go wrong from time to time. From crashing plates to minor scuffles, restaurant dramas are destined to occasionally take place (and probably provide a high level of entertainment for diners). However, sometimes good kitchen etiquette is destroyed in spectacular style.
Arby's is no stranger to this problem. As well as serving a sandwich containing a sliced finger to a 14-year-old in 2012 (via Business Insider), the U.S. sandwich chain was also the focus of another human flesh scandal in 2005. According to NBC, a customer claimed to have discovered a mound of human skin tucked within the ingredients of one of Arby's most popular menu items — the chicken sandwich.
Inevitably, Arby's was sued for its alleged grotesque mishap
NBC reports the unfortunate case of David Scheiding, an Arby's customer who was unlucky enough to hungrily bite into a chicken sandwich and discover the shocking additional ingredient of human flesh — never has "buy one, get one free" been more unwelcome.
The finger of blame was pointed at the Ohio restaurant manager, who was spotted by health inspectors sporting a bandage over his thumb, according to NBC. The manager confirmed he had chopped his thumb while slicing lettuce, which then ended up in Scheiding's sandwich.
Unsurprisingly, the incident prompted Scheiding to launch legal action against Arby's, and who could blame him. The Chicago Tribune notes that the fast food company originally offered an out-of-court settlement, but lawyers urged Scheiding to reject it. This led to a $50,000 lawsuit being filed (which Arby's has refused to speak about to this day).