Two comments:
Yes, Wendy’s puts meet from the grill into a small container behind the grill, which is emptied, boiled, and used in chili. In the 1980’s, they also has some potato toppings that used ground beef from the same place. Just because they followed proper procedures doesn’t mean I would eat it. Still won’t.
My economics professor in undergrad worked at Campbell’s before he got his Ph’D. He was specifically responsible for the vegetable grinder that makes V9. Why V9 instead of V8? Because he would use a long 2x4 to push the vegetables through the grinder. As the day progressed, the 2x4 would shrink. I forgot the type of wood they used to enhance flavor, but I know they taste tested various trees. This was in the early 1980’s, so I would not warrant that this process is still used.
The key for successful restaurant eating is what I call the T-ratio. Teeth to tattoos. If the help has more teeth than tatoos, you are less likely to get sick than the opposite.
Teeth to tatoos! I do the same though I rarely eat out anymore. Too few of one and too many of the other is a good indication how quickly your stomach will send you to the toilet. Add to that how long the hair and how greasy the hair is. Have you noticed now days they don’t wear hairnets?