A former worker at an Applebee's restaurant in Jefferson, La., cut the tip off his thumb a year ago — and that probably was the fingertip found by a customer now suing the chain, according to Applebee's International Inc.
In a statement released Saturday, the company apologized to May Deal Chambers Johnson of Jefferson Parish, who sued the chain June 24, claiming she found a fingertip in a to-go salad bought at the restaurant a year ago.
"While some facts are still unclear, we now believe a former employee at this restaurant accidentally cut the very tip of his thumb last year," said the company, based in Overland Park, Kan. It said the man described the cut as "roughly the size of a sunflower seed."
"We deeply regret this isolated incident from last year," the statement said. "Food safety remains our top priority."
Johnson's attorney, Michael Darnell of New Orleans, said Sunday that he hadn't seen the statement or spoken with Applebee's officials since filing the lawsuit.
But he said the statement made him question whether Applebee's and other chain restaurants are doing enough to make sure tainted food doesn't get served to customers.
"These things will happen in a kitchen environment but the good establishments make sure the proper precautions are taken," he said, adding that health department officials should have been notified as soon as the restaurant management found out about it. "It seems to me that Applebee's is trying to distance itself from what happened with one of its franchises."
A spokeswoman for Applebee's didn't immediately return a phone call for comment.
A similar claim against Wendy's International Inc. turned out to be a hoax. A woman told police in March that she had found a fingertip in a bowl of chili at a Wendy's in San Jose, Calif. Police charged her with conspiracy to commit fraud and grand theft.