Quick restaurants set up helpline

The fast-food chain wants to reassure people, after a boy died shortly after eating in one of its restaurants

FRENCH fast-food chain Quick has set up a helpline to reassure people after a 14-year old boy died a few hours after eating in one of its restaurants.

The helpline (0800 004 084) is meant to inform and reassure, but also pick up on any genuine cases of ill-health possibly linked to eating its food. It received about 30 calls on its first day, but none showed any evidence of any serious concerns, the chain reports.

Quick’s managing director, Jacques-Edouard Charret, has refused to accept responsibility for the death of the teenager at Avignon, saying it is still “unexplained.” He added he is not aware of any other case of food poisoning due to eating at Quick.

The public prosecutor’s office in the city said so far investigations allowed them neither to confirm nor exclude the idea that the boy died of food poisoning. Laboratory test results into possible poisoning may not be available until next week.

Mr Charret insisted thorough health and safety checks are done in Quick restaurants: once a quarter by outside experts, and 800 internal ones each week on aspects like temperatures, traceability, best-before dates and cleanliness.