>... the reality was that the coffee was exceptionally hot for decontamination convenience
It sounds like that might not be accurate:
>...In 1994, a spokesman for the National Coffee Association said that the temperature of McDonald's coffee conformed to industry standards.[2] An "admittedly unscientific" survey by the Los Angeles Times that year found that coffee was served between 157 and 182 °F (69 and 83 °C), and that two coffee outlets tested, one Burger King and one Starbucks, served hotter coffee than McDonald's.[37]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restau...