Man sues Whole Foods after finding rocks in his rotisserie chicken

The implementation of Whole Foods' OTS system predates Amazon’s acquisition of the company, but some still blame increased demand from Amazon customers for exacerbating the shortages. (iStock)

A Las Vegas man is suing Whole Foods after breaking his teeth on rocks inside a rotisserie chicken. TMZ reports that Dr. Albert Liu broke two teeth on stones found in a ready-to-eat Organic Naked Rotisserie Chicken purchased from the Texas-based grocer.

Liu claims that he contacted Whole Foods to file a report and that the manager said they should never have sold him the chicken. But apparently, it’s quite normal for fowl to eat rocks. In multiple forums across the web, concerned poultry parents inquire about the safety of their pebble-eating birds. Bagus Adiwiluhung, a doctoral student at Aalto University in Finland, says it’s necessary to help them digest food, considering their mouths bear no teeth. He quotes author John Hudson Tiner, who wrote, “A bird swallows small bits of gravel that act as 'teeth' in the gizzard, breaking down hard food such as seeds and thus helping digestion."

Most state laws say that if someone finds a foreign object in their food, they can sue. But if it’s something considered “reasonably expected upon consumption” — like fish bones or cherry pits — then you probably won’t win. Glass, metal, and plastic are obviously lawsuit-worthy, but since it’s common practice for chickens to eat pebbles, it’s unclear whether or not Liu’s teeth-breaking rocks will be considered foreign.

The Daily Meal has reached out to Whole Foods for comment.