A Connecticut woman is suing the Chop’t Creative Salad Co. restaurant chain, claiming to have found a piece of human finger in a salad she bought from it.
The salad in question was sold to Allison Cozzi, at the Mount Kisco, New York, Chop’t location on April 7.
Her lawsuit, filed Monday, contends that while cutting arugula an unnamed manager at the restaurant cut off part of a left index finger, and that the contaminated arugula was subsequently served to customers as part of salads.
Ms. Cozzi realized while eating that “she was chewing on a portion of a human finger that had been mixed into, and made a part of, the salad,” the lawsuit reads.
Chop’t was fined $900 by the Westchester County Health Department in September for an unspecified health incident.
According to Ms. Cozzi’s complaint, that fine matches the day on which she bought the salad and the finger.
The lawsuit also claims that Chop’t did not dispute the fine, which was for transgressing a rule that food service establishments must “operate their premises in such a way as to avoid imminent health hazards.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages for alleged injuries to Ms. Cozzi including shock, panic attacks, nausea, dizziness, migraine, cognitive impairment, and both neck and shoulder pain.
Ms. Cozzi’s legal team has declined to discuss the case further.
“My client has instructed me that she does not want any publicity. She is fearful that publicity will exacerbate her stress and anxiety levels,” Ms. Cozzi’s attorney Marc Reibman told the New York Post on Tuesday.
Chop’t has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
