Main Retailer Slug in ham

Billy Reid

How does one go about dealing with a worm thathe was found in a packet of ham.
Have tried dealing with them directly but no impact.
Do I go legal ... the media or what
Food poisoning was an issue.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Did they refund you for the ham? A worm in the ham does not automatically suggest a food poisoning issue. Was anybody ill after consuming the ham?

L1011

Did anyone eat the ham?

Realistically all you are going to get for an uneaten bit of ham with contamination is an apology and a few vouchers. You can report it to the FSAI also.

Was it dead or alive? Pork can have worms in it which are dead after cooking - hence why pork has to be cooked thoroughly. Although they're usually invisible, unlike worms in fish...

Billy Reid

L1011 wrote: »

Did anyone eat the ham?

Realistically all you are going to get for an uneaten bit of ham with contamination is an apology and a few vouchers. You can report it to the FSAI also.

Was it dead or alive? Pork can have worms in it which are dead after cooking - hence why pork has to be cooked thoroughly. Although they're usually invisible, unlike worms in fish...

Yes the ham was eaten
People where I'll from it
They have not refunded the money
The worm was alive and returned to thensure store

rubadub

Billy Reid wrote: »

People where I'll from it

did they get written diagnoses from the doctors?

Dunno if others bothered to look at your previous posts, it had me curious, If you are bothered "defending" yourself, remember you are not in court :pac: people can actually put 2 and 2 together without having to have 100% proof it equals 4.

Billy Reid wrote: »

Hi

I was fined in court for driving with no car insurance

I made a mistake and held my hands up

Will this effect my travel to the states is it a criminal record

RE tv licences

Billy Reid wrote: »

Speak to an post legal dept this morning.
This can be pulled at a cost.
Been there done that.
And be apologetic have the credit card ready

Billy Reid

rubadub wrote: »

did they get written diagnoses from the doctors?

Dunno if others bothered to look at your previous posts, it had me curious, If you are bothered "defending" yourself, remember you are not in court :pac: people can actually put 2 and 2 together without having to have 100% proof it equals 4.

I'm not quite sure what you are implying

CeilingFly

Billy Reid wrote: »

How does one go about dealing with a worm thathe was found in a packet of ham.
Have tried dealing with them directly but no impact.
Do I go legal ... the media or what
Food poisoning was an issue.

"Food Poisoning" is as abused a word as "flu"

I had food poisoning a few years ago - I assure you it is not nice and it is not as simple as throwing up after something.

Similarly I had "flu" about 25 years ago and it is something you never want to experience - real flu knocks you back for six for about 3 weeks.


So I doubt very much it was food poisoning - more a reaction to realising you ate something you think was nasty. - The nocebo effect.

In reality there was no harm and frankly no case other than a refund. In addition, your contract is with the store it was purchased in, so that's where you go looking for your €2

Billy Reid

Thanks for the feedback guys

rubadub

Billy Reid wrote: »

I'm not quite sure what you are implying

Not to worry, everybody else does, and those are the ones I wanted to inform.

ThisRegard

Billy Reid wrote: »

Yes the ham was eaten
People where I'll from it
They have not refunded the money
The worm was alive and returned to thensure store

Doesn't sound like it was a packet of ham, they're sealed and it would be long dead, either by being squashed, or suffocation, before it got to your house.

And how could you not see it in the pack or slice when opening it, handling it, or even putting it towards your mouth? And why is your first thought to go to the media or legal?

Doesn't add up.

Billy Reid

rubadub wrote: »

Not to worry, everybody else does, and those are the ones I wanted to inform.

Thats great.

Billy Reid

ThisRegard wrote: »

Doesn't sound like it was a packet of ham, they're sealed and it would be long dead, either by being squashed, or suffocation, before it got to your house.

And how could you not see it in the pack or slice when opening it? And why is your first thought to go to the media or legal?

Sliced off the block into plastic white bag.
Half of the ham was eaten then we returned for more and when we got to the bottom of the bag we seen the worm.
Just felt that going to media / legal on the issue may have got the supplier to get the finger out and deal with.
Inclinded to leave it be now.

Kimbot

Is it a slug or a worm OP, you make refernce to a slug in the title and then worm in your post. Theres a big difference in both of them.

Also I note you said it was cut ham in a white bag so you got it from the butcher and he cut it fresh? If so there is no worm or slug that would survive going through the cutter it would have chopped it to bits.

ThisRegard

Billy Reid wrote: »

Just felt that going to media / legal on the issue may have got the supplier to get the finger out and deal with.

Deal with it, i.e. financially recompense you? As said, it's dubious that the worm or slug, or anything fatter than a slice of ham, went through a slicer alive.

Your story is dubious.

Call me Al

jonnycivic wrote: »

Is it a slug or a worm OP, you make refernce to a slug in the title and then worm in your post. Theres a big difference in both of them.

Also I note you said it was cut ham in a white bag so you got it from the butcher and he cut it fresh? If so there is no worm or slug that would survive going through the cutter it would have chopped it to bits.

It was likely in the bag the ham was sliced into.

mikeybrennan

Billy Reid wrote: »

Sliced off the block into plastic white bag.
Half of the ham was eaten then we returned for more and when we got to the bottom of the bag we seen the worm.
Just felt that going to media / legal on the issue may have got the supplier to get the finger out and deal with.
Inclinded to leave it be now.

Get on Facebook and Twitter with it

ThisRegard

Call me Al wrote: »

It was likely in the bag the ham was sliced into.

But not really if the bag was taken from the stack.

Kimbot

Call me Al wrote: »

It was likely in the bag the ham was sliced into.

Well it could also have found its way into said bag after the OP brought it home aswell.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Call me Al wrote: »

It was likely in the bag the ham was sliced into.

Or got in to the bag when in the OPs home?

Nothing is likely at all.

evolving_doors

CeilingFly wrote: »

"Food Poisoning" is as abused a word as "flu"

I had food poisoning a few years ago - I assure you it is not nice and it is not as simple as throwing up after something.

Similarly I had "flu" about 25 years ago and it is something you never want to experience - real flu knocks you back for six for about 3 weeks.


So I doubt very much it was food poisoning - more a reaction to realising you ate something you think was nasty. - The nocebo effect.

In reality there was no harm and frankly no case other than a refund. In addition, your contract is with the store it was purchased in, so that's where you go looking for your €2

That's a bit harsh.. the OP claims that food poisoning occurred. Your definition of food poisoning seems to imply an absolute state like "the flu". Food poising can vary from mild tummy upset to death!

Sure, you'd have to be getting stool samples and whatnot to get verification.. either way though they have a reasonable complaint. I'd have to dispute the statement "no case other than a refund"... if it's found that others reported it and others suffered similarly than there would be a stronger case to answer.

Personally I'd prefer if the OP took it as far as they could. A business refusing to engage probably just means they'll continue on doing what they're doing. So it could be any of us posting here who could fall victim.

Report it to the FSAI OP https://www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter/
Maybe nothing will follow but it might just take 1 more customer with a similar complaint and they'll take action.

Not sure if you can claim compensation straight away though...you'd need legal advice from that.

ThisRegard

Gebgbegb wrote: »

if it's found that others reported it and others suffered similarly than there would be a stronger case to answer.

Personally I'd prefer if the OP took it as far as they could. A business refusing to engage probably just means they'll continue on doing what they're doing. So it could be any of us posting here who could fall victim.

Report it to the FSAI OP https://www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter/
Maybe nothing will follow but it might just take 1 more customer with a similar complaint and they'll take action.

Not sure if you can claim compensation straight away though...you'd need legal advice from that.

You mean there's a mass outbreak of worms which may actually be slugs, that can survive slicers, lack of oxygen, weight and all sorts of others, that are invisible until a late stage? Definitely go to the media with that.

But as how the OPs says the story is, it's full of holes and nobody knows if the retailer was even approached. If they were, you can be certain that they would do a full investigation of the claims. He said it was a 'major retailer', they employ people that do this and are pretty familiar with the supply chain from factory to fridge.

They may have concluded that the contamination couldn't have happened within the confines of the store, if at all.

duploelabs

Gebgbegb wrote: »

That's a bit harsh.. the OP claims that food poisoning occurred. Your definition of food poisoning seems to imply an absolute state like "the flu". Food poising can vary from mild tummy upset to death!

Sure, you'd have to be getting stool samples and whatnot to get verification.. either way though they have a reasonable complaint. I'd have to dispute the statement "no case other than a refund"... if it's found that others reported it and others suffered similarly than there would be a stronger case to answer.

Personally I'd prefer if the OP took it as far as they could. A business refusing to engage probably just means they'll continue on doing what they're doing. So it could be any of us posting here who could fall victim.

Report it to the FSAI OP https://www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter/
Maybe nothing will follow but it might just take 1 more customer with a similar complaint and they'll take action.

Not sure if you can claim compensation straight away though...you'd need legal advice from that.

If it is indeed food poisoning, the gp that diagnosed it should report it to the fsai. The latter will look for a professional diagnosis on this to action an investigation

Lux23

Would you think about contacting the Food Safety Authority of Ireland? At the very least you should get your money back.

https://www.fsai.ie/

Billy Reid

Just spoke with local environmental health officer and apparently the store has dealt with the issue correctly.

The EHO will now investigate but I will not get feedback.

And yes it was a slug not a worm. Apologies.

I'm not looking for a quick book here im looking for the local store to get their hygiene issues in order.

Kimbot

Billy Reid wrote: »

Just spoke with local environmental health officer and apparently the store has dealt with the issue correctly.

The EHO will now investigate but I will not get feedback.

And yes it was a slug not a worm. Apologies.

I'm not looking for a quick book here im looking for the local store to get their hygiene issues in order.

How can you be so sure it came from the store tho and not around your own home??

Billy Reid

jonnycivic wrote: »

How can you be so sure it came from the store tho and not around your own home??

Fair point jonny
But we are certain it was from the ham

The Diddakoi

jonnycivic wrote: »

How can you be so sure it came from the store tho and not around your own home??

DNA testing ??

Billy Reid

alf66 wrote: »

DNA testing ??

Hilarious

Kimbot

Billy Reid wrote: »

Fair point jonny
But we are certain it was from the ham

I fail to see how there was a slug there. The bags are normally in a flat packed box so a bulge of a slug would be noticed. The butcher would even notice the slug in the bag on their hand because they normally place the bag completely inside out on their hand. Then you have the whole issue of if the slug was attached to the ham then it would have been diced completely going through the slicer.
The boot of your car could have had a slug in it and made its way into the bag on your way home etc.

Alun

Lettuce is the usual source of slugs, so maybe there was a bit of "decorative" lettuce around the ham in the display cabinet and one somehow got onto the ham and then dropped unnoticed into the bag, or possibly one escaped from a lettuce in the OP's fridge and went off in search of a midnight snack

tabby aspreme

jonnycivic wrote: »

How can you be so sure it came from the store tho and not around your own home??

With the high levels of salt in processed ham I doubt a slug would survive in a pack of ham for very long , also a lot of cooked meat is packed in a low , or zero oxygen environment, was the slug dead or alive when you found it

Billy Reid

Alun wrote: »

Lettuce is the usual source of slugs, so maybe there was a bit of "decorative" lettuce around the ham in the display cabinet and one somehow got onto the ham and then dropped unnoticed into the bag, or possibly one escaped from a lettuce in the OP's fridge and went off in search of a midnight snack

Midnight snack!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂

evolving_doors

ThisRegard wrote: »

You mean there's a mass outbreak of worms which may actually be slugs, that can survive slicers, lack of oxygen, weight and all sorts of others, that are invisible until a late stage? Definitely go to the media with that.

But as how the OPs says the story is, it's full of holes and nobody knows if the retailer was even approached. If they were, you can be certain that they would do a full investigation of the claims. He said it was a 'major retailer', they employ people that do this and are pretty familiar with the supply chain from factory to fridge.

Maybe it is... but the task is not to judge the validity of the op's claim... but to give advice as to what to do.

ThisRegard wrote: »

They may have concluded that the contamination couldn't have happened within the confines of the store, if at all.

That's true. It mightnt be a slug.. or a worm.. but a small maggot larvae from a fly which was going around the deli counter. This could happen.

Kimbot

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Maybe it is... but the task is not to judge the validity of the op's claim... but to give advice as to what to do.



That's true. It mightnt be a slug.. or a worm.. but a small maggot larvae from a fly which was going around the deli counter. This could happen.

But the OP has now confirmed that it was indeed a slug.

ThisRegard

Gebgbegb wrote: »

That's true. It mightnt be a slug.. or a worm.. but a small maggot larvae from a fly which was going around the deli counter. This could happen.

That would be taken much more seriously. But the plot holes still apply.

mikeybrennan

Billy Reid wrote: »

Just spoke with local environmental health officer and apparently the store has dealt with the issue correctly.

The EHO will now investigate but I will not get feedback.

And yes it was a slug not a worm. Apologies.

I'm not looking for a quick book here im looking for the local store to get their hygiene issues in order.

I can tell you from experience with these agencies that they are light-touch in most cases

You'll be lucky they even pay a visit

B0jangles

Alun wrote: »

Lettuce is the usual source of slugs, so maybe there was a bit of "decorative" lettuce around the ham in the display cabinet and one somehow got onto the ham and then dropped unnoticed into the bag, or possibly one escaped from a lettuce in the OP's fridge and went off in search of a midnight snack

This.

Seems extremely unlikely a slug would voluntarily spend any time in contact with ham considering the effect salt has on them. As Alun says it was probably either in some lettuce in the shop or in your fridge and then fell into the ham. Not a pleasant experience for the consumer but entirely harmless.

duploelabs

mikeybrennan wrote: »

I can tell you from experience with these agencies that they are light-touch in most cases

You'll be lucky they even pay a visit

I can tell you from experience as a food producer for 7 years that this is not the case

evolving_doors

ThisRegard wrote: »

That would be taken much more seriously. But the plot holes still apply.

The burden of proof as to the genus of the species doesn't rest with the OP. The same way I find what I think is a stone in a rasher and it turns out to be a bit of hard plastic or animal bone.

It still stands that the OP found something there that shouldn't have been there. What they want to call it is up to them, they aren't the expert. (A young maggot larvae could look like a little worm or translucent and slimy enough to be a small slug).

Trying to ascertain the 'validity' of the Op's claim through a 'plot' is immaterial.

They OP doesn't want to know 'how' it got there.. or what species it was. It's not for them - or us- to find that out. That would be for a different thread.

The OP wants to know how to proceed with their complaint.

Kimbot

Gebgbegb wrote: »

The burden of proof as to the genus of the species doesn't rest with the OP. The same way I find what I think is a stone in a rasher and it turns out to be a bit of hard plastic or animal bone.

It still stands that the OP found something there that shouldn't have been there. What they want to call it is up to them, they aren't the expert. (A young maggot larvae could look like a little worm or translucent and slimy enough to be a small slug).

Trying to ascertain the 'validity' of the Op's claim through a 'plot' is immaterial.

They OP doesn't want to know 'how' it got there.. or what species it was. It's not for them - or us- to find that out. That would be for a different thread.

The OP wants to know how to proceed with their complaint.

But before the OP proceeds with their complaint surely they have to do a bit of research as to where the slug came from? As pointed out above ham is riddled with salt there the slug would avoid it and wouldnt last long in the packet with the ham. For all we know, the OP placed the slug in the packet or the OP's house mate could have for a joke etc.

Billy Reid

Right lads it's lunch time and I'm off for a ham sambo

Kimbot

OP did the people affected visit a doctor?

Billy Reid

jonnycivic wrote: »

OP did the people affected visit a doctor?

No they did not.

Kimbot

Billy Reid wrote: »

No they did not.

So how are you 100% certain that "Food poisoning was an issue." if it wasn't diagnosed by a doctor?

Billy Reid

jonnycivic wrote: »

So how are you 100% certain that "Food poisoning was an issue." if it wasn't diagnosed by a doctor?

Without a stool sample I cannot be certain, however going on side effects it was likely.

mikeybrennan

duploelabs wrote: »

I can tell you from experience as a food producer for 7 years that this is not the case

EHO satisfied according to op

Satified that a slug found its way into the Ham

Par for the course with these agencies

Kimbot

Billy Reid wrote: »

Without a stool sample I cannot be certain, however going on side effects it was likely.

Food poisoning mustn't have been much of a concern if you were self diagnosing.

duploelabs

mikeybrennan wrote: »

EHO satisfied according to op

Satified that a slug found its way into the Ham

Par for the course with these agencies

according to OP, they have food poisoning without a professional diagnosis

ThisRegard

mikeybrennan wrote: »

I can tell you from experience with these agencies that they are light-touch in most cases

You'll be lucky they even pay a visit

I would not agree with your assesment, and I know this from experience. Ours obviously diverged drastically at some point.

The monthly publication from the FSAI will also be contrary to your experience.

mikeybrennan wrote: »

EHO satisfied according to op

Satified that a slug found its way into the Ham

Par for the course with these agencies

It certainly is not.

jonon9

I was having dinner in a restaurant a few years ago and I found a slug in my salad, I wasn't put of by it just saw it and called the waiter over she took it back and apologized multiply times. I received a fresh meal and ate it plus they didn't charge me for it so its a win win really.

Amalgam

jonon9 wrote: »

I was having dinner in a restaurant a few years ago and I found a slug in my salad, I wasn't put of by it just saw it and called the waiter over she took it back and apologized multiply times. I received a fresh meal and ate it plus they didn't charge me for it so its a win win really.

I often find little slugs in salads from the, 'German Retailers', I find it quite comforting, it means the vegetation hasn't been sprayed/treated to oblivion..