Metal found in hamburgers during school-ordered lunch in Burlington, Ont.

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Two parents are speaking out after students at their children's school in Burlington, Ont., say they found metal in hamburgers the school ordered from a local chain restaurant.

Last Friday, Kilbride Public School ordered from one of its regular vendors — a Hero Certified Burgers location in Oakville. But shortly after the hamburgers were distributed, two students came forward and said they found a foreign object in their meal.

CBC Toronto is not identifying the parents who spoke out to protect their children’s privacy.

“It was really scary because my children are young. They absolutely could have swallowed a piece and not realized it,” one parent said. “That thought was absolutely terrifying.”

Immediately, the school took to its PA system, recalling all burgers, instructing staff to inspect every student’s meal and record how much they had ingested, the parent said.

Another parent who spoke to CBC Toronto said while some children only took a couple of bites out of their burgers, others ate the entire thing before the school could recall them.

“All the parents were messaging each other,” she said. “Some were already in contact with their doctor to see if their kids should get an X-ray.”

Kilbride’s staff contacted the vendor, sent an email to parents and notified Halton Public Health.

Shards consistent with grill brush bristles: school

In a statement sent to parents Friday and obtained by CBC Toronto, the school said the shards of metal were consistent with grill brush bristles. According to the statement, students were provided with replacement pizza, which the burger restaurant paid for.

In its statement, the school noted a Hero Certified Burgers supervisor visited the Oakville location at 380 Dundas Street E., and decided to discontinue the use of the metal grill brushes.

Health Canada's website says 45 emergency department visits took place between 2011 and 2024 due to injuries related to barbecue brush bristle ingestion or inhalation. Of those 45 incidents, 21 involved children under the age of nine. (Vera-Lynn Kubinec/CBC)

Hero Certified Burgers told CBC Toronto it's investigating and its head office team has completed two on-site visits to the franchise location for inspections.

“We recognize the seriousness of this matter, and it is being treated with the highest priority,” the company said in a statement.

The burger chain also said it had a public health inspection scheduled for this past Tuesday.

“We can confirm that all appropriate protocols and verification steps are being followed to determine the facts and to uphold our commitment to guest safety,” it said in the statement.

Halton public health agency investigating

Halton Public Health confirmed to CBC Toronto it was made aware of the complaint and that an investigation is underway.

“We take concerns of this nature very seriously,” it said in a statement this week.

Health Canada has regulations in place for barbecue grill brushes, which include a required warning label and testing to reduce the risk of wire bristles becoming detached, embedded in food and accidentally ingested.

In a statement to CBC Toronto, Hero Certified Burgers said an investigation is ongoing and its head office team has completed two on-site visits to the franchise location for inspections. (Google Maps)

According to the agency’s website, 45 emergency department visits took place between 2011 and 2024 due to injuries related to barbecue brush bristle ingestion or inhalation. Of those 45 incidents, 21 involved children under the age of nine.

Despite this, restaurants and individual households are still legally allowed to use the barbecue brushes.

"It actually blew my mind to even think that restaurants and chains in today’s day and age are still using these metal brushes,” the first parent said.

Kilbride Public School said in a statement to parents Monday it would no longer be using Hero Certified Burgers as a lunch vendor in its school-ordered program. Both parents say they're happy with that decision. 

“[The school] responded with exceptional speed and care,” the first parent said.

“I genuinely believe that they took every precaution to ensure that the students were safe. Their organized response really helped turn a scary situation into one that felt managed and transparent.”

As for the burger chain, neither mom will be returning.

“I can appreciate that they refunded our money,” the other parent said. “But for me and my kids' safety moving forward, I just don't trust that.