Ontario mother 'completely shocked' by unwanted find in McDonald's McNugget

An Ontario woman is calling on McDonald's to do more to warn its customers after she says her eight-year-old daughter nearly swallowed a bone found inside a chicken McNugget.

Cathy Gennaro, 40, decided to treat two daughters, two and eight years old, to a snack after school on Saturday, she told CTV News Toronto.

“McNuggets are their favorite snack,” Gennaro said.

After ordering food through the drive-thru at a Brampton location, Gennaro said her family went home and began to eat.

“Then, the next thing you know, I hear, ‘Oh, my God, what's this?’ And [my daughter] spits out her food,” she said.

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In her hand was a small chicken bone, about the size of a quarter, Gennaro said.

“I was completely shocked,” she said. “In 40 years, that's never happened.”

Cathy Gennaro's eight-year-old daughter holds the bone she says she found in her McNugget. (Handout)

When reached for comment, Tim OConnor, franchisee of the McDonald’s location, told CTV News Toronto that the safety and well-being of employees and guests is his priority.

“I take pride in serving my guests using the best and safest ingredients,” OConnor said in the statement. “We are actively investigating and will take the appropriate next steps.”

OConnor said his team is working directly with Gennaro to address her concerns.

The bone Gennaro says was in her daughter's chicken nugget is measured at just over 1.5 cm. (Handout)

After the incident, Gennaro took to social media to air her complaints – a move she credits as the reason McDonald’s was quick to get in touch with her.

Upon becoming aware of her post, McDonald's requested Gennaro send the bone to them for further investigation, she said. They also offered her a refund.

“I hope to be kept updated on the investigation into this serious near-miss and the actions taken to rectify or prevent something like this from happening again to consumers,” Gennaro said.

“Perhaps there should be a warning label or a warning on McDonald's website that chicken bones may be found in McNuggets – it's pretty disturbing and disgusting.”

Ultimately, Gennaro said she chose to share her story as a tool to raise awareness.

“God forbid it wasn’t my two-year-old, right? It was pretty jagged and sharp, and it's a long piece, so something like that could easily get lodged into a small child's throat,” she said.

“I think action should be taken before something tragic happens.”