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Woman in critical condition; ‘poisoned’ by restaurant’s sweet tea

Posted at 9:58 AM, Aug 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-14 09:58:14-04

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — A woman was hospitalized after she was poisoned from sweet tea she drank at a Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Utah, according to a report on Fox13Now.com.

The cup the woman drank out of not only contained sweet tea, but also a mix of chemicals used to clean fryers at the restaurant, police said. Seconds after she drank from the cup, her throat and mouth started to burn.

“I don’t know how much was put into this drink. But from what I understand, it was a highly toxic substance, and the amount in there caused some severe burns to her mouth and her throat,” South Jordan Police Officer Sam Winkler said.

The cleaning chemicals contained 67-percent sodium hydroxide

BBQ Tea

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to our guest and her family,” the franchise owner said in a statement. “Safety is something we take very seriously when it comes to our valued guests, as well as our own team members.”

The Salt Lake County Health Department determined there was no existing risk to the public after it investigated the restaurant following the incident.