Ordering food at McDonald’s is a serious heck for all the foodies. Standing in those big queues waiting for your turn to come, almost takes away your excitement to enjoy your Mac meal. Hence, modern self-order touchscreen kiosk has eased that stress. But maybe not better for your health! A recent study reveals that there is something on those screens that should be of tremendous concern for McDonald’s customers. Well, that is bacteria. And not just any kind of bacteria. But faecal (poo) and other bacteria from human digestive tracts that could cause all sort of health problems for those who unintentionally are ingesting the living organisms. Maggots Found in McDonald’s UK and KFC India Meals! McD Promises Action, KFC Refutes Allegations. 

The study led by the United Kingdom newspaper Metro, the researchers studied kiosks in eight restaurants; six in London and two in Birmingham and found traces of gut bacteria on every single one of them. Dr Paul Matawale, a senior lecturer in microbiology at the London Metropolitan University was quoted as saying, “We were all surprised how much gut and fecal bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals. For instance Enterococcus faecalis is part of the flora of gastrointestinal tracts of healthy humans and other mammals. It is notorious in hospitals for causing hospital acquired infections.” McDonald’s Sued for $5 Million for Forcing Customers to Pay for Cheese They Don’t Want in their Quarter Pounders!

Besides, the scientists also found staphylococcus, listeria, Klebsiella, and Proteus bacteria; all can cause serious illness in humans. Dr Matawele further added, “Touchscreen technology is being used more and more in our daily lives but these results show people should not eat food straight after touching them, they are unhygienic and can spread disease. Someone can be very careful about their own hygiene throughout the day but it could all be undone by using a touchscreen machine once.”

According to media reports, McDonald’s introduced touchscreens in the United Kingdom in 2015 and they are also used in countries including Canada and Australia. Coming across the recent research, McDonald’s released a statement saying that the company is careful and routinely cleans the touchscreens to avoid problems. It stated, “Our self-order screens are cleaned frequently throughout the day. All of our restaurants also provide facilities for customers to wash their hands before eating.”

The result does not necessarily represent all the branches since the samples were collected from only eight restaurants in U.K. It seems the old tradition of ordering food at McDonald’s is better than inviting illness through the touchscreen kiosks. The choice is yours!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 29, 2018 10:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).