Bad Food being sold.

[GrimsbyPacer]

Hi.
For the last few months me and my old mum have had a competition to find the fruit being sold in the worst condition at a local supermarket after noticing the mouldy food they sell all the time.
Last week however I discovered all the pears had gone guey and most nets of lemons were white and green with mould (very horrid). I complained that this wasn't fit for eating and the next day they were in the "reduced price" section.

This has been an ongoing situation at this supermarket.
So I contracted the Food Standards Agency with a catalogue of 14 seperate days when completely mouldy food was being sold despite complaints.
I listed everything we found mouldy (not other types of bad fruit).
After a few days I got a reply saying I should contact a local food agency instead. I can't be bothered now.

Just wondering if mouldy food problems like this can be solved in some way?
Also if other people have the same problem at this "green" supermarket or others?

 

[telstarbox]

Get onto Environmental Health at your local council.

 

[Hadders]

Assuming the supermarket concerned is one of the 'established' chains I'd make a formal complaint through their customer relations department. I know that these complaints are usually taken seriously at a head office and field management level.

If this doesn't resolve the situation then go the environmental health department of the local authority. They are the people who inspect food businesses and award the 'star rating'.

EHO's take complaints relating to food safety seriously, particularly where it concerns 'use by' dates.

 

[DelayRepay]

If my supermarket regularly had mouldy fruit on sale, I think I would start shopping elsewhere*.

*Actually I wouldn't notice as I buy my fruit and veg from the village green grocer.

 

[Bishopstone]

Fruit has a short shelf life.

When supermarkets go to the other extreme and chuck stuff that's a bit wrinkled or mis-shapen, they get accused of food waste on an industrial scale.

It's not really a food safety issue because you can quite clearly see when a pear is going soft and mushy, and even if eaten it's unlikely to cause anything more than a rumbly tummy. Chicken and fish are the dangerous stuff, if not chilled, handled and cooked properly.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Get onto Environmental Health at your local council.

Yes. That is the appropriate body to investigate and who have appropriate powers and obligations to enforce hygene standards.

. . . . If this doesn't resolve the situation then go the environmental health department of the local authority. They are the people who inspect food businesses . . . .

EHO's take complaints relating to food safety seriously, particularly where it concerns 'use by' dates.

Yes. I agree.

It's not really a food safety issue because you can quite clearly see when a pear is going soft and mushy, and even if eaten it's unlikely to cause anything more than a rumbly tummy. Chicken and fish are the dangerous stuff, if not chilled, handled and cooked properly.

It is, despite the truth in what you say, the risk-averse approach of risk-assessment leads us to preventing the possibility of harm. Which is NOT asuming that the consumer can detect hazards for themselves, however obvious they maybe to you or I.

 

[muz379]

ive had the odd time when ive dug into the display case of oranges or lemons at the supermarket and pulled out a net of them and found one extremely mouldy . I dont complain though if I can see a staff member I just bring it to their attention and they promptly remove it .

I used to work at a supermarket and every couple of hours we had to go over the fruit and veg checking for such items particularly in summer . Of course from time to time things do get missed and it happens but if it was a repetitive failure to do anything about it once brought to their attention id find somewhere else to shop .

Whenever we had food safety inspectors in they where far more interested in checking records for temperature checks on fridges and freezers and the storage conditions of fresh food ,dairy and meat .

 

[WelshBluebird]

Fruit has a short shelf life.

When supermarkets go to the other extreme and chuck stuff that's a bit wrinkled or mis-shapen, they get accused of food waste on an industrial scale.

It's not really a food safety issue because you can quite clearly see when a pear is going soft and mushy, and even if eaten it's unlikely to cause anything more than a rumbly tummy. Chicken and fish are the dangerous stuff, if not chilled, handled and cooked properly.

To be fair, there is a middle ground though. Where a supermarket can still put on sale food that is a bit mis-shapen or ugly or whatever, but can still remove food from sale when it starts to go moldy or off. I don't see why one extreme affects the other.

 

[Hadders]

Fruit and Vegetables generally do not carry 'use by dates'. There will often be 'display until' dates on pre-packs fruit and veg to assist the retailers in their quality control.

Anyone retailing fresh fruit and vegetables has to comply with the Specific Marketing Standards and the General Marketing Standards. These regulations cover the quality, freshness, class and country of origin.

These standards are enforced by the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate who are part of the Rural Payments Agency (which in turn is part of DEFRA). HMI carry out inspections of premises selling fruit and vegetables based on risk and previous inspection results.

 

[bnm]

You have the photographic evidence?

Then use the social media of the company concerned. Post your photos there.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

You have the photographic evidence?

Then use the social media of the company concerned. Post your photos there.

Yes, after starting this thread I started taking pics, got 3 now.
Their Facebook page doesn't have the contact or post options.
They don't seam to care, so me and my Mum just won't buy their fruit and veg again.

 

[Johnuk123]

Yes, after starting this thread I started taking pics, got 3 now.
Their Facebook page doesn't have the contact or post options.
They don't seam to care, so me and my Mum just won't buy their fruit and veg again.

Supermarkets are private property and taking pictures without permission can get you thrown out and banned.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Supermarkets are private property and taking pictures without permission can get you thrown out and banned.

So how do I prove they sell horrid food without buying it all?
When I tell staff it always stays on the shelves or goes to reduced price. I got no responce from the local food agency and the one time the supermarket threw out bad pears after my complaint it only took 3 days before more bad pears were sold. I'm getting fed up with this store, it's the only one in the town centre on our bus route and my old Mum doesn't walk well. We want to buy fruit but can't because of mould. I just want them to stop selling mouldy fruit and nothing seams to be working.

 

[Johnuk123]

So how do I prove they sell horrid food without buying it all?
When I tell staff it always stays on the shelves or goes to reduced price. I got no responce from the local food agency and the one time the supermarket threw out bad pears after my complaint it only took 3 days before more bad pears were sold. I'm getting fed up with this store, it's the only one in the town centre on our bus route and my old Mum doesn't walk well. We want to buy fruit but can't because of mould. I just want them to stop selling mouldy fruit and nothing seams to be working.

I was simply telling you to be careful as supermarkets are not keen on people snapping away.

You could tip off the local press they would probably be interested especially with your actions that have bought no satisfaction.

 

[jon0844]

I contacted Sainsbury's after discovering one evening that one aisle of freezer cabinets was turned off. All the food inside was extremely soft and there were signs on the floor to warn of it being wet. I supplied photos.

The next day I had to go back and noticed they were back on, and everything inside was still there - but now covered in frost/ice and many packages were somewhat deformed. Goodness knows how the manager at the store thought it would be acceptable to sell it.

Sainsbury's said they would investigate but didn't appear to do anything (I go into the store quite frequently). I assume that sooner or later they binned the stock after I'd hope nobody in their right mind would have bought it.

I know someone will ask why I didn't ask staff, but if you know this store then you'll know that in the evening it's hard to even find a checkout open - and speaking to people at the checkout has no guarantee that anything will be passed on and you'll just get 'thanks for letting me know, have a nice day'.

 

[DarloRich]

If it is a mainstream supermarket they will have a twitter account. Tweet them the picture and that should get a response. I would suggest simply asking if the picture represents the kind of service they wish to offer rather than something aggressive. I have found that will often generate a response and is a public forum so it is in the interest of the store to respond.

Or with two clicks through google I have found postal addresses for all major UK supermarkets

 

[muz379]

I contacted Sainsbury's after discovering one evening that one aisle of freezer cabinets was turned off. All the food inside was extremely soft and there were signs on the floor to warn of it being wet. I supplied photos.

The next day I had to go back and noticed they were back on, and everything inside was still there - but now covered in frost/ice and many packages were somewhat deformed. Goodness knows how the manager at the store thought it would be acceptable to sell it.

Sainsbury's said they would investigate but didn't appear to do anything (I go into the store quite frequently). I assume that sooner or later they binned the stock after I'd hope nobody in their right mind would have bought it.

I know someone will ask why I didn't ask staff, but if you know this store then you'll know that in the evening it's hard to even find a checkout open - and speaking to people at the checkout has no guarantee that anything will be passed on and you'll just get 'thanks for letting me know, have a nice day'.

Oh dear what was the manager thinking , you could potentially give a large number of people food poisoning which in vulnerable people can be fatal .

Probably messed up and didn't want to be responsible for all of that stock being written off .

If its either an equipment failure or a power failure there are procedures in place and id be surprised if sainsburys was any different from some of the other big supermarkets in that the company wouldn't pay for loss in this situation .