Found a screw in a jar of food!

JohnDigital

I am just wondering if anyone has any advise to share on similar experiences. I wont name the brand but I found a small metal screw in a jar of curry sauce that I purchased from a supermarket.

The brand is very well known and is produced in the EU for an extremely big multinational company. The screw is about 8mm long and looks like the type of screw that secures steel panels on to machinery. Unfortunately I found the screw when I chomped on it. Luckily it was me not any of my young kids who could have choked on it and I don't seem to have damaged any teeth, just had a sharp pain for a few minutes.

I am rather annoyed, as I would have expected quality control in food production now a days to be far better and to find something foreign like a piece of metal is pretty disturbing. Not to mention the fact that it really spoiled the meal and my confidence in the multinational concerned.

I have phoned their care line and am awaiting a call back from the quality control department.

RobertFoster

My mother found a fly/blue bottle in a tin of tuna a few years ago. My neighbours kids found a 2p and a 1p coin in a packet of chocolate buttons as well. It usually ends up with you getting a pack of freebies from the company in the hopes that you don't take it further and continue to purchase their products.

If you've ever seen the programme How It's Made on the Discovery Channel, some food manufacturing processes include scanning products with metal detectors in case a part of the machinery has worn or loosened and fallen into the mix. I guess this didn't happen in your case!

Hotblack Desiato

JohnDigital wrote:

I wont name the brand but I found a small metal screw in a jar of curry sauce that I purchased from a supermarket.

Why on earth not?

If one screw can end up in food, more than one can. At least if we knew which brand (and flavour) it was, anyone with the same stuff sitting in their cupboard could leave it there for the next few days until the food company can either recall it or give the all clear

HelterSkelter

ninja900 wrote:

Why on earth not?

If one screw can end up in food, more than one can. At least if we knew which brand (and flavour) it was, anyone with the same stuff sitting in their cupboard could leave it there for the next few days until the food company can either recall it or give the all clear

Maybe because boards could get sued.

mcaul

If this is genuine the company will be extremely thankful for you bringing it to their attention. You should certainly approach someone higher than a cust service rep - they are mostly call cnetre staff.

Write to the company (a website should give you a director's name) and inform them of the item. As most companies use 3rd party manufacturers to make products for them they will want to investigate the problem. - Also expect plenty of goodies from them!

Case of example. A customer of mine found a scalpel knife in a snakes & ladders game, I informed the supplier who came over to Ireland to examine the knife, confirmed it was of a type used in far east factories and ensured quality control was improved. Customer got holiday in Disneyland Paris with her husband and 2 kids and more games that they'd ever need. - The supplier was entirely grateful for the information as it could have led to a more serious problem.

magnumlady

I would certainly get in touch with the company.
I found a wasp in a jar of marmalade once, the shop concerned didn't want to know, didn't even apologise.
On the other hand I found a bit of string in a chicken product, sent the whole lot back and got 20 euro of vouchers.

Oracle

I recently found a nail clipping in a prepared ready-meal recently; unfortunately I ended up taking it out of my mouth! I felt so disgusted I just couldn't bring myself to return it to the store. I won't be buying that again.

kowloon

Got fingernail clippings in icecream before, not pleasant.
Broke a tooth on an own-brand frozen meal aswell, big sharp piece of bone in the food.

Hotblack Desiato

HelterSkelter wrote:

Maybe because boards could get sued.

Jesus, I'm getting sick of this stock response to everything in this country. If the OP is stating a matter of fact, and I fully believe he is, then both he and boards have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Lorax

I... dropped the screwwwwwww... in the tunaaaaaa.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKpiuTCPabk

It happens.. Write to the company..

JohnDigital

Wow lots of dodgy food contamination - eek. Well as for naming the brand I would rather not until such a time as they have had an opportunity to respond to me. BTW I've heard nothing yet, more than 36 hours later.

maireadmarie

A couple of years ago a son of mine found a large piece of jagged metal in some frozen food - we rang the company who were extremely concerned - within a very short time they came and collected the metal; a couple of weeks later we got a letter thanking us for letting them know, and explaining that they had discovered a fault with a machine across the water. They were very grateful and offered us a small sum of money in compensation which we refused. We were impressed by their up-frontness and efficiency in dealling with the problem.
My sister had an alternative problem - three times she had a complaint about 'wildlife' in bread (an Irish company), and finally got sticky and took some compensation from them. She felt that because she accepted their apologies initially, that they went away and did nothing to improve the situation. She hasn't had the problem again, because she doesn't buy their goods anymore.
It very much seems to depend on the particular company, how they view the importance of something like this - in the first case, we're still consumers of the company's goods and we have a good feeling about them. In the second, I know I don't buy the bread my sister used to, and I bet her friends don't either.

GrumPy

Lorax wrote:

I... dropped the screwwwwwww... in the tunaaaaaa.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKpiuTCPabk

It happens.. Write to the company..

Hey! that was my line

Victor

When I was 8, I was goofing around and stuck a two-inch nail in a loaf of bread. My brother discoverd it in his lunch. I kept quiet.

RainyDay

ninja900 wrote:

Jesus, I'm getting sick of this stock response to everything in this country. If the OP is stating a matter of fact, and I fully believe he is, then both he and boards have absolutely nothing to worry about.

GIven that there is nothing to worry about, why not set up your OWN site where anonymous posters can name & shame companies, and put YOUR assets on the line in case of legal challenge?

If the OP is seriously concerned about the risk to others, he can report the matter to the FSAI.

2funki4wheelz

maireadmarie wrote:

My sister had an alternative problem - three times she had a complaint about 'wildlife' in bread (an Irish company), and finally got sticky and took some compensation from them. She felt that because she accepted their apologies initially, that they went away and did nothing to improve the situation. She hasn't had the problem again, because she doesn't buy their goods anymore.

Had the same story with a brand of Irish bread years ago, we were told it was 'flour beetles' :rolleyes: and that they were everywhere and harmless. Got some free produce but again, we stopped buying the brand.

Hotblack Desiato

RainyDay wrote:

GIven that there is nothing to worry about, why not set up your OWN site where anonymous posters can name & shame companies, and put YOUR assets on the line in case of legal challenge?

I don't mean to get on boards' case (after all, afaik the Legal Action We Can't Talk About is still going on.) but rather the fact that litigation, or rather fear of litigation is stopping all sorts of worthwhile things from going on, and is a handy excuse for the powers that be to do nothing.

e.g. Why can't the council put more playgrounds in? Litigation.
Why aren't there any skate parks? Litigation.
Why can't I organise a fundraising event for my community? Venue owners fear litigation.
Etc etc

Now as I understand it in this forum (and please correct me if I'm wrong), but once you have an established track record on boards and are not likely to be trolling, you can name and shame any company you like in here provided you can back it up. The OP chooses not to, at least not yet, but that's his choice so fair enough.

If we reach a point where you can't post what you know to be the truth for fear of litigation, then this forum as a whole has no point and boards as a whole will suffer also.

If the OP is seriously concerned about the risk to others, he can report the matter to the FSAI.

Yep. by rights the authorities should be the first port of call if there is any chance of a risk to the public.

JohnDigital

Hi Guys,

This has turned into quite a debate! Just to give you an update, as of this moment I still have not heard back from the company in question. I am going to write to them today and enclose pictures of the offending item, I will also send to the FSAI.

I think that the risk to the public is minimal. I would not presume that just because one screw was found that there is a whole batch with screws in them, more likely this is an isolated incident. I would be more concerned if it were glass as then there would be a far higher likelihood of additionally contaminated jars.

I will update again if/when I hear from them. If they continue to ignore I will post pictures and details of the product here if the moderators agree that it would not cause any difficulty for boards.ie

John

gerrycollins

John,
Good luck dealing with the company and in my experience most will shower you with freebies to keep you happy but if your nasty to them they will stick to the law.

Now I stand corrected on this and cannot find the actual letter of the law on it but

if you were to find a foregin object in a food item then you are entitled to compensation of (what used to be) £15 suppose equal to €20. Amazing isnt it

If you were to find the foregin object from the food in your mouth as you ate it then you would be entitled to as much as you can prove how distressed you got etc from the company, however in your case as you can imagine if the object is big enough you will see it before it can get near your mouth

Many shops pass these matter straight to the supplier/manufacturer so avoid the shop in case they lose anything from your compaint also you can request that you retain the object until such time as you are asked to post it back via registered mail etc