A Brazilian court ruled this week that McDonald‘s must pay a former franchise manager $17，500 because he gained 65 pounds （30 kilograms） while working there for a dozen years.

The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high， because McDonald’s hired “mystery clients” to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food， service and cleanliness.

The man also said the company offered free lunches to employees， adding to his caloric intake while on the job. His identity was not released.

The ruling was signed Tuesday by Judge Joao Ghisleni Filho in Porto Alegre.

Ghisleni said McDonald‘s could appeal the case， and the Brazilian headquarters of the chain said in an e-mailed statement Thursday it was weighing its legal options.

McDonald’s also noted that it offers healthier food choices.

“The chain offers a large variety of options and balanced menus to cater （to） the daily dietary needs of its employees，” the company said in the statement.

McDonald‘s headquarters is in Oak Brook， Illinois.

巴西一家法院本周做出判决，要求麦当劳必须赔偿其一家连锁店的前任经理1.75万美元，因为他在麦当劳工作的12年间体重增加了65镑（合30公斤）。

这位现年32岁的男子称，他每天被迫品尝食品以确保较高的质量标准，因为麦当劳雇佣了一些“神秘顾客”随机到访各店，并对食品、服务、清洁状况进行报告。

他还表示，麦当劳为员工提供免费午餐，使他在工作期间热量摄入大增。他的身份并没有公开。