A letter recently sent to Thrifty Payless Inc., by one of our readers.

Hello, My name is Joleen and I have always been a big fan of Thrifty brand ice cream.  In fact, I have always thought Thrifty’s ice cream can compete with the biggest brand names. 

However, when I was enjoying an ice cream cone that I made at my house with the Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream I found something very disturbing inside.  I took a bite of the ice cream on the cone and I was crunching the malted balls when I came across something that I was unable to crunch so I pulled it out of my mouth thinking it was a malted ball that was too hard. 

I was repulsed and disgusted to pull out of my mouth an old yellow chunk of a fingernail!

After I pulled this vile chunk of nail out of my mouth and looked at it, I was horrified and had to run to the bathroom to vomit. My family and I ate half on the carton before having the contaminated scoop of ice cream, with the old yellow fingernail in it on August 25, 2009.              

I purchased the Thrifty brand Chocolate Malted Crunch from Rite Aid Pharmacy at 1158 W. Main St., Merced, California 95340 on August 18, 2009 at 6:23 p.m. I found the fingernail on August 25, 2009.  On the bottom of the ice cream container it shows that this ice cream was produced 07-21-09, Plant #06-1538, on Line #1 06-1538, Phillip A. lot #12207.

I have a phobia of fingernail clippings, and to have chewed some random persons nail is horribly disturbing, as you could imagine.  If it were a hair it would not be as gross, but underneath nails is the dirtiest part on the human body.  I do not understand how this fingernail got into my ice cream and I would appreciate it being looked into. 

I contacted Merced County Health Inspections and they advised me to write you this letter as my first step.   I would appreciate if you would contact me so I can complete an official report.

Sincerely,

Joleen M.
Merced, CA