TORONTO — A U.S. customer visiting Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel and Suites recently ordered a cheeseburger and requested to have it cooked medium, but was asked to sign a waiver.
The customer shared their experience on Reddit’s Toronto page, as well as a picture of the meal and the waiver that accompanied it. According to the waiver, the “guest hereby waives and releases any rights, actions or claims against Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel and Suites…for any liabilities and damages, including any foodborne illnesses and death arising out of or in connection with the guest’s use of its own food or consumption of products not provided by Hilton Toronto Airport.”
A hotel spokesperson told the Toronto Sun that while the hotel chain doesn’t typically asks guests to sign waivers, it adheres to all of Ontario’s food-safety laws.
“When guests would request a cooking temperature for meat that was below the minimum required, our hotel provided a waiver as an additional food-safety measure with language consistent with what you might see printed at the bottom of restaurant menus,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Ground beef should be cooked to 71 degrees Celsius to “ensure adequate cooking of the meats and reduce the chance of bacterial survival,” according to Ontario’s food-safety guide.
“We’re in the process of adding a disclaimer to our restaurant menus and will discontinue use of the waiver,” said the spokesperson.
