Florida restaurant owner fights back against maggot accusations

Denise Daley (pictured) said there is absolutely no way her jerk chicken specialty made anyone ill

A Florida restaurant owner is fighting back against accusations that her food made a customer sick after the patron complained she found maggots in the dish. 

Denise Daley, owner of the Caribbean Sunrise Restaurant and Baker in Jacksonville, said there is absolutely no way her jerk chicken specialty made anyone ill after giving a tour to Action News Jax over the weekend. 

‘There was no doubt on our part that the food was safe,’ Daley said, adding that her famous chicken is cooked in an oven, smoked on a grill, stored in a hot box, and heated in a microwave before being served to customers. 

Daley spoke out against the accusations after customer Keondra White claimed she found maggots in her food, posting footage of the to-go order to the internet. 

The clip shows the Caribbean chicken dish in a Styrofoam container crawling with insect larvae.  

The restaurant admitted via social media that there was an incident that ‘compromised our standards’ earlier in the week, but insisted they were not at fault for White’s experience. 

Daley spoke out against the accusations after customer Keondra White (pictured) claimed she found maggots in her food and posted footage of it online

Daley spoke out against the accusations after customer Keondra White (pictured) claimed she found maggots in her food (L) and posted footage of it online

Daley is the owner of the Caribbean Sunrise Restaurant and Baker in Jacksonville (Pictured)

Daley is the owner of the Caribbean Sunrise Restaurant and Baker in Jacksonville (Pictured)

‘I have no idea what the customer did (with) the food,’ Daley told Action News, ‘but once the food leaves here, we have no control over what happens to it.’  

The exact nature of those compromised standards remains unclear.   

Experts say that high temperatures normally eradicate any maggots or fly eggs found in food, but it depends on how high those temperatures are. 

‘You want it a good 180 degrees internal temperature,’ University of North Florida nutrition professor Lauri Wright told Action News.

 ‘If you don’t hit that, the maggots could still be alive.’  

Health inspectors found violations at the restaurant on two consecutive days but did discover any maggot infestations inside the storage facilities 

Health inspectors found violations at the restaurant on two consecutive days but did discover any maggot infestations inside the storage facilities 

Moreover, food does not have to be out very long before flies begin to lay their eggs. 

‘Often, (the maggots) come after the food has been prepared, has been cooked, and when it’s sitting out,’ Wright said. 

Daley insists that the chicken served to White was ever left out for any period of time. 

According to Action News, health inspectors found violations at the restaurant on two consecutive days, including the discovery of flies in the kitchen and dining area and not keeping food, including chicken and beef, in a cold enough storage area. 

Health inspectors, however, did not find serious violations or maggot infestations that contaminate any food products stored at the restaurant. 

‘I do apologize that we had to be put in this light to the general public,’ Daley told WTLV.

‘Our intentions are very good and we’ll continue to provide safe quality food to the customers to ensure that they enjoy the meals and that they remain safe while eating our food.

 



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