What is a Foreign Object in Food?

A Foreign Object in Food refers to any item or material that is not supposed to be in a food product and creates a choking hazard, injury risk, or contamination concern. Common foreign objects found in restaurant food include glass (from broken dishes or bottles), metal (from equipment, broken utensils, or staples), plastic (from packaging or equipment parts), wood (splinters from cutting boards or wooden spoons), stones or rocks (in produce or grains), bandages, jewelry, fingernails, hair, insects, or pieces of cleaning supplies. When a customer discovers a foreign object in their food or, worse, suffers an injury from biting into or swallowing a foreign object, they can file a products liability claim against your restaurant. Your general liability insurance’s products liability coverage typically covers these claims, including the customer’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and your legal defense costs.

What you need to know

Foreign objects in food create both safety hazards and liability exposure for restaurants, ranging from minor contamination to serious injuries requiring medical treatment.

Common types of foreign objects:

• Glass – From broken dishes, bottles, or light bulbs
• Metal – From equipment parts, broken utensils, staples, or wire
• Plastic – From packaging materials or equipment parts
• Wood – Splinters from cutting boards, wooden spoons, or toothpicks
• Stones or rocks – In produce, grains, or rice
• Personal items – Bandages, jewelry, fingernails, hair
• Pests – Insects or evidence of rodents
• Cleaning supplies – Pieces of sponges, scrubbers, or bristles

The liability exposure:

When a customer discovers a foreign object in their food or suffers an injury from biting into or swallowing a foreign object, they can file a products liability claim against your restaurant. These claims fall under your general liability insurance’s products liability coverage.

What insurance covers:

Your products liability coverage typically covers the customer’s medical expenses, pain and suffering damages, and your legal defense costs. However, repeated claims will increase your insurance premiums and could affect your ability to obtain coverage.

Why it matters for Restaurant Owners

Foreign object claims are among the most common products liability claims facing restaurants, and they can range from minor incidents (a customer finds a hair in their food and demands a refund) to catastrophic injuries (a customer breaks a tooth on a piece of metal or suffers internal injuries from swallowing glass).

The reputational damage:

Even when no injury occurs, these incidents create serious reputational damage, especially if the customer posts photos on social media or leaves negative reviews. In the age of smartphones and instant social media sharing, a single foreign object incident can reach thousands of potential customers within hours.

The financial consequences of injuries:

When an injury does occur, the costs escalate quickly. Medical expenses, legal fees, and potential judgments can be substantial—dental work alone can cost thousands of dollars, and if someone suffers more serious injuries like lacerations to the mouth or throat, damages can reach tens of thousands or more.

Why prevention is critical:

Your products liability coverage protects you financially from these claims, but prevention is critical to minimizing both the frequency of incidents and your long-term insurance costs. Repeated claims lead to higher premiums, larger deductibles, or difficulty obtaining coverage.

Essential prevention measures:

Implementing proper food safety protocols, training staff to inspect ingredients, using metal detectors for certain high-risk items, conducting regular equipment inspections to catch parts that might be breaking down, enforcing jewelry and nail policies for kitchen staff, and maintaining clean, organized work areas all help prevent foreign objects from ending up in your food. These preventive measures protect both your customers and your business.