Why You May Want To Avoid Ordering Wendy's Iconic Frosty

When you think of Wendy's, your mind may immediately go to its iconic frozen treat, the Frosty. which has been on the menu since the restaurant began. Frostys are the cold and creamy dessert that can best be described as what would happen if a milkshake and soft-serve ice cream had a baby. They come in two flavors, chocolate and vanilla, and are the perfect dip for Wendy's French fries.

Sounds great, right? You may change your mind when you hear what a former employee shared on Reddit about the unhygienic practices they witnessed working at Wendy's. "Most employees don't care to properly clean out the Frosty machine correctly," they stated. The Redditor added that the Frosty mix used at their location was frequently stored uncovered in the refrigerator overnight and reused the next day.

Wendy's and local health departments have strict rules about food storage, and one of those rules requires all food to be covered in the refrigerator. Leaving food uncovered allows contamination to occur. From a food quality standpoint, it can also cause the food to pick up the smells of other items in the fridge. No one wants their Frosty to smell like chopped onions.

Frosty-gate isn't the only negative news the company has had to combat. In 2013, a viral photo showed a Wendy's employee eating a Frosty directly from the machine. Ten years later, other photos surfaced of one of their crewmembers bathing in a utility sink in the restaurant's kitchen. Needless to say, corporate wasn't amused, and the employees found themselves seeking employment elsewhere after these stunts.

It's important to point out that gross incidents like these aren't unique to Wendy's. Other fast-food chains have had their fair share of notorious moments. In fact, there have been so many that National Public Radio (NPR) published an entire article entitled "A History of Human Fingers Found In Fast Food."

Despite the bad press, Wendy's still sells an incredible number of Frostys every year — around 300 million. These occurrences are rare and unlikely to happen to you, so feel free to continue to enjoy that cold, creamy, delicious Frosty. What you don't see can't hurt you, right?