A video has surfaced online appearing to show a Kellogg’s factory employee urinating on a cereal conveyor belt before from which cereal is packed into boxes for public consumption.
The video, captured on a smartphone in 2014, was recorded at a factory in Memphis, Tennessee. A spokesperson for the company has said Kellogg’s is “outraged by this completely unacceptable situation,” revealing that a criminal investigation into the act has been launched.
The 43-second video was made during a period when Kellogg’s management and factory staff were involved in a bitter labour dispute. If features a man relieving his bladder onto the equipment used to pack boxes of Kellogg’s breakfast cereals, with the camera lingering on the Kellogg’s K logo.
The man’s identity is unknown, and the company says Rice Krispies Treats, Rice Krispies Cereal, and rice cake products “could have been potentially affected.”
“Kellogg takes this situation very seriously and we were shocked and deeply disappointed by this video that we just learned of yesterday. We immediately alerted law enforcement authorities and regulators,” Kris Charles, a spokeswoman for the cereal conglomerate, said on Saturday.
“We will work closely with authorities to prosecute to the full extent of the law,” she added.
Meanwhile, Paul Norman, President of Kellogg North America, has said the video "showed a disgusting act of disrespect for you – our consumers – as well as our thousands of employees".
An internal investigation is being carried out by the company, while the US Food and Drug Administration is conducting a criminal investigation.
