Certain Columbia restaurant (dangerous find) (inspection, tax, food)

[WanderingFlame]

I'm not quite sure what to do about this, but I ordered some carry out food from a local restaurant and found something unpleasant in it just tonight. It was Mexican food and while I was eating I bit down on something rather hard and flat and metal-like. I reached into my mouth and pulled out a small razor blade. Of course, I totally lost my appetite. I called up the restaurant but the lady at the front desk didn't understand what I was trying to tell her so I pack up the food and took it back and physically showed them the razor blade. They apologized a lot and gave me my money back and I left the food with them, but I was wondering...is there anything I can do about this? Anyone I can file a complaint with? I mean, I don't wanna cause a huge issue but if an employee in the back is putting razor blades in the food, that's just obviously incredibly dangerous. It's one thing to drop something that's already in the kitchen in the food (I've found ketchup packets in food before, not from this place), but finding a razor blade??? Also, how would I be able to prove this? I ordered the food and took it home, I didn't have any witnesses with me or anything so for anyone else, it looks like I could have just placed it there myself. I guess the only thing I can really do now is avoid that place like the plague and double check any other food I order out. This is just nuts. Now I totally feel sick to my stomach and I'm hoping it just from me being nervous about what I found.

By the way, I'm not gonna go public with the name of the place but if anyone here is from Columbia and wants to know what this place is, you can private message me.

[lifelongMOgal]

Heck yes! Report this to the Health Department.

[Marksman84]

Missouri Department of Health and Senior 573-751-6400

Columbia/Boone County Department of Health Services 573-874-7346.

Make these tools earn our tax dollars - call both of them until they tell you when the inspection and temporary (or permanent) shutdown of this place will occur.

I know you don't want to cause a huge issue, but this is a serious problem and other patrons could be critically injured by this act of carelessness, a disgruntled employee or whatever.

[WanderingFlame]

Okay, I will do this. Thank you for the help. I was just really shocked and freaked out by this experience. Hopefully, they will take me seriously and check into this because this is just too critical of an issue to be ignored.

[lifelongMOgal]

Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the health dept. . I was traveling a couple of years ago in another state and called the health dept. from my cell phone as I was traveling down the highway to report the very frightening conditions I had observed at a fast food joint. That state's health department was very professional in taking my complaint and even called me 3 months later to report that they had closed the place down not only based upon my complaint but their own observations upon inspection.

Thank you for doing the right thing and not just dismissing this incident which was very nearly dangerous to you.

[WanderingFlame]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the health dept. . I was traveling a couple of years ago in another state and called the health dept. from my cell phone as I was traveling down the highway to report the very frightening conditions I had observed at a fast food joint. That state's health department was very professional in taking my complaint and even called me 3 months later to report that they had closed the place down not only based upon my complaint but their own observations upon inspection.

Thank you for doing the right thing and not just dismissing this incident which was very nearly dangerous to you.

Thanks. Although, I do feel a bit awkward since whenever I go there, I pay with a card so they could easily figure out who complained about them if they keep those receipts. ...or am I just fretting too much?

[WanderingFlame]

So I called the health department early this morning and filed the complaint about this place. I told them the whole story and they said they would get right on it. Hopefully, they will look into what is going on in the place. I also asked them if they could update me once they've done the inspection because I'm interested in what they find or don't find. And here's to hoping the restaurant doesn't figure out who did it and send over thugs to bust my kneecaps.