A teenage McDonald’s employee has been charged with unlawful and malicious tampering with food after customers found phlegm in their tea, police in South Carolina said.

Deputies in Greenville County said a mother and her daughter ordered sweet tea from the McDonald’s in Simpsonville on Saturday.

After getting the tea they noticed it was not sweet, according to deputies. After returning the drinks, the customers realized that the order was still not correct, deputies said.

Deputies said rather than going back to the restaurant, the victims went home to add their own sweetener. They said when they opened the tops they noticed a large deposit of phlegm was found floating in both drinks.

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Deputies said Marvin D. Washington Jr., 19, was arrested and charged with unlawful and malicious tampering with food.

According to an arrest warrant, Washington was seen on video leaning his face down to the drinks before filling them with tea.

John Kennedy, owner/operator of that McDonald's outlet, released a statement asking people not to rush to judgment.

"Nothing is more important to me than the safety and wellbeing of my customers. I want to assure my customers that my restaurant has the most stringent food safety and quality standards and I caution anyone from reaching a conclusion without the facts," he said.

“As this is a pending police matter, it would be inappropriate to discuss further and, as such, any additional questions can be directed to the police department," he added.

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