Foreign Object in Food - Aldi Belmont Biscuits

[PD9]

Found this in my Fruit Slices breakfast bar from Aldis Belmont Biscuit range.



I've emailed the company regarding this and they came back with:

"....

Thank you for your email regarding the foreign object in our product - Belmont Fruit Slices. Firstly please accept our apologies for the inconvenience and upset caused, we appreciate the distress that this incident has caused.

On this occasion it would appear that this is an isolated incident and we would like to reassure you that we will continue to insist on the highest standards from our suppliers and we shall closely monitor the performance of this particular supplier.

Please send both the packing and foreign directly to me at the following address.."

This is definitely not a fruit stone, it is a hard granite type rock with a variety of colours and clarities. Where do I go now as they seem to have missed the bit I included in my original email where I chipped my front tooth which is now sensitive to temperature, upsetting my tea drinking this morning. They also seemed to miss this paragraph:

"I tried these bars as an alternative to Go-Ahead’s Crispy Slices which is a similar product, the rest of the Aldi Brand Fruit Slices has now been discarded. I plan to involve Food Standards Agency to investigate this matter if a swift resolution is not met here. I will also be seeking compensation to repair my tooth to avoid any other damage in the short term."

Food Standards or Direct to Company as requested?

[OzzyR1]

Can we see the email you sent to them?

[Adenauer]

That's just a bog standard first off reply. You need to talk to their Head Of Minerals.

[bobbo89]

A little stone picked up in the production of the fruit that goes into them, no biggy, forget it and crack on with your life.

[amancalledrob]

Oh yeah, let's all accuse OP of being out to make a quick buck, maybe he even broke his tooth on purpose... or not. How is it in any way unfair for him to want Aldi to put him back in the position he was in before he suffered a dental injury from their below-standard product?

[PD9]

OzzyR1 said:

Can we see the email you sent to them?

"Aldi,

I have just gone to eat a biscuit from your range of Fruit Slices. Whilst eating through my first biscuit I have bitten down on a stone lodged within the biscuit and chipped a part my front tooth, I am still in terrible pain as I write this! On inspection of the stone, which I initially thought was a seed or stone from the fruit, it is not –it is in fact some sort of granite type of rock. See attached files for visual information, the stone was in the biscuit itself. As a frequent shopper in Aldi Stores; I am extremely angry and annoyed at this, firstly due to my tooth being chipped and secondly, that the contents of your food contain rock and stones! I have always promoted Aldi as a great store to shop in to my friends and colleagues. This incident has left me angry and disappointed.

I tried these bars as an alternative to Go-Ahead’s Crispy Slices which is a similar product; the rest of the Aldi Brand Fruit Slices have now been discarded. I plan to involve Food Standards Agency to investigate this matter if a swift resolution is not met here. I will also be seeking compensation to repair my tooth to avoid any other damage in the short term.

Please escalate this to whomever responsible, of course; consider this a very serious and urgent matter.

I look forward to your reply."

I have the packaging and stone. The biscuits were discarded as I'm not keen on having them kicking around in my drawer for a week. Not for me.

[OzzyR1]

PD9 said:

"Aldi,

I have just gone to eat a biscuit from your range of Fruit Slices. Whilst eating through my first biscuit I have bitten down on a stone lodged within the biscuit and chipped a part my front tooth, I am still in terrible pain as I write this! On inspection of the stone, which I initially thought was a seed or stone from the fruit, it is not –it is in fact some sort of granite type of rock. See attached files for visual information, the stone was in the biscuit itself. As a frequent shopper in Aldi Stores; I am extremely angry and annoyed at this, firstly due to my tooth being chipped and secondly, that the contents of your food contain rock and stones! I have always promoted Aldi as a great store to shop in to my friends and colleagues. This incident has left me angry and disappointed.

I tried these bars as an alternative to Go-Ahead’s Crispy Slices which is a similar product; the rest of the Aldi Brand Fruit Slices have now been discarded. I plan to involve Food Standards Agency to investigate this matter if a swift resolution is not met here. I will also be seeking compensation to repair my tooth to avoid any other damage in the short term.

Please escalate this to whomever responsible, of course; consider this a very serious and urgent matter.

I look forward to your reply."

I have the packaging and stone. The biscuits were discarded as I'm not keen on having them kicking around in my drawer for a week. Not for me.

Quoted for posterity.

"Please escalate this to whomever responsible, of course; consider this a very serious and urgent matter."

Is this a wind-up OP?

[PD9]

doogz said:

amancalledrob said:

Oh yeah, let's all accuse OP of being out to make a quick buck, maybe he even broke his tooth on purpose... or not. How is it in any way unfair for him to want Aldi to put him back in the position he was in before he suffered a dental injury from their below-standard product?

I agree, however the way the OP has written it, it sounds a bit like a threat. I think he could have worded it better (I appreciate the irony in my terrible use of the English language there)

'Give me some money or I'm telling on you.'

I agree Rob, but it is the internet at the end of the day and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I would like a swift resolution - that's what I was pushing for in the end; if I make a quick buck well brilliant but a more immediate concern is my tooth. I do not want to wait months for 'analysis' then as previously mentioned by another poster.... I will be forgotten about. I have emailed the FSA.

[bobbo89]

Actually, i'll keep my eye on this to see how it goes. A leter, pebble and an empty packet posted to Aldi and I can get free dental work!

[hedgefinder]

the OP did right in chucking those bisuits, by the sound of it they posed a real and present danger to life.. they may have mutated into some kind of rock/bisuit hybrid monster we have all seen that kind of thing happen before.

[Mercury00]

I got £15 for a piece of string in a Walnut Whip when I was a lad. They said it was a piece from the conveyor belt.

[Adenauer]

PD9 said:

"Aldi,

I have just gone to eat a biscuit from your range of Fruit Slices. Whilst eating through my first biscuit I have bitten down on a stone lodged within the biscuit and chipped a part my front tooth, I am still in terrible pain as I write this! On inspection of the stone, which I initially thought was a seed or stone from the fruit, it is not –it is in fact some sort of granite type of rock. See attached files for visual information, the stone was in the biscuit itself. As a frequent shopper in Aldi Stores; I am extremely angry and annoyed at this, firstly due to my tooth being chipped and secondly, that the contents of your food contain rock and stones! I have always promoted Aldi as a great store to shop in to my friends and colleagues. This incident has left me angry and disappointed.

I tried these bars as an alternative to Go-Ahead’s Crispy Slices which is a similar product; the rest of the Aldi Brand Fruit Slices have now been discarded. I plan to involve Food Standards Agency to investigate this matter if a swift resolution is not met here. I will also be seeking compensation to repair my tooth to avoid any other damage in the short term.

Please escalate this to whomever responsible, of course; consider this a very serious and urgent matter.

I look forward to your reply."

I have the packaging and stone. The biscuits were discarded as I'm not keen on having them kicking around in my drawer for a week. Not for me.

Get out

[PD9]

hedgefinder said:

the OP did right in chucking those bisuits, by the sound of it they posed a real and present danger to life.. they may have mutated into some kind of rock/bisuit hybrid monster we have all seen that kind of thing happen before.

This is true... I'll let you all know the outcome. Have a pleasant day.

[Vaud]

PD9 said:

I agree Rob, but it is the internet at the end of the day and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I would like a swift resolution - that's what I was pushing for in the end; if I make a quick buck well brilliant but a more immediate concern is my tooth. I do not want to wait months for 'analysis' then as previously mentioned by another poster.... I will be forgotten about. I have emailed the FSA.

If you want practical action - you should really try your local environmental health team, they deal with food quality and safety?

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/yourarea/

But don't email them, just call them.

[hedgefinder]

Vaud said:

If you want practical action - you should really try your local environmental health team, they deal with food quality and safety?

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/yourarea/

But don't email them, just call them.

and in this case they will do exactly bugger all.
I spent 10 days in hospital a number of years ago with a very nasty form of food poisoning.
When I was releaed from hospital environmental health called out to interview me as it was polciy at the time for them to do so in such severe cases of food poisoning. I told the guy exactly where I bought the food that I was 99.99% sure caused the food poisoning namely a coronation chicken sandwich bought from a corner shop in cleveland that kept its sandwiches on a wooden shelf in the heated shop. Because I didnt know the NAME of the shop and it was out of my local area..and his, obviously, nothing what so ever was ever done about it. Unless they have to do no actual work and the case is easy for them/in the public eye/someone dies they wont do a thing.

[anonymous-user]

hedgefinder said:

and in this case they will do exactly bugger all.
I spent 10 days in hospital a number of years ago with a very nasty form of food poisoning.
When I was releaed from hospital environmental health called out to interview me as it was polciy at the time for them to do so in such severe cases of food poisoning. I told the guy exactly where I bought the food that I was 99.99% sure caused the food poisoning namely a coronation chicken sandwich bought from a corner shop in cleveland that kept its sandwiches on a wooden shelf in the heated shop. Because I didnt know the NAME of the shop and it was out of my local area..and his, obviously, nothing what so ever was ever done about it. Unless they have to do no actual work and the case is easy for them/in the public eye/someone dies they wont do a thing.

See I disagree, ok your case was not satisfactory but in my experience they were very good and investigated the shop did a load of tests and ensured changes were made all the while keeping me up to date with what was happening

To the OP, your email does sound like a threat/compo chasing and is being treated as such, compare and contrast my colleague at work who found a bit of metal in his supermarket sandwich a few weeks ago. It scratched his mouth and his immediate concern was if there were other affected sandwiches it could hurt someone. Rang the store, advised them of the issue explaining he just wanted to make them aware, he was inundated with vouchers and apologies afterwards.

[Vaud]

hedgefinder said:

and in this case they will do exactly bugger all.
I spent 10 days in hospital a number of years ago with a very nasty form of food poisoning.
When I was releaed from hospital environmental health called out to interview me as it was polciy at the time for them to do so in such severe cases of food poisoning. I told the guy exactly where I bought the food that I was 99.99% sure caused the food poisoning namely a coronation chicken sandwich bought from a corner shop in cleveland that kept its sandwiches on a wooden shelf in the heated shop. Because I didnt know the NAME of the shop and it was out of my local area..and his, obviously, nothing what so ever was ever done about it. Unless they have to do no actual work and the case is easy for them/in the public eye/someone dies they wont do a thing.

They vary by authority, being fair.

Food poisoning is notoriously difficult to trace once the evidence has gone - as there is little proof.

[Vaud]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Similar experience with food poisoning and food authorities.

My wife had a very nasty case last year, picked up at an Indian restaurant close to Gatwick airport on the night before our Honeymoon. I had a light case too (as I helped her to finish her meal). There was absolutely no doubt it was this place that had caused it, as the only other food eaten in the previous 24hrs was washed fruit and yoghurt......

€2k of hospital bills in Mexico and a very expensive Honeymoon all but ruined. Environmental health didn't want to know. Despicable IMO.

And in counter to that - very hard for environmental health to take samples from you when you are 4000 miles away. It's all about evidence.

[dingg]

Mercury00 said:

I got £15 for a piece of string in a Walnut Whip when I was a lad. They said it was a piece from the conveyor belt.

probably the stringy bit of a tampax


(bet that makes you feel better)

[illmonkey]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Vaud said:

hedgefinder said:

and in this case they will do exactly bugger all.
I spent 10 days in hospital a number of years ago with a very nasty form of food poisoning.
When I was releaed from hospital environmental health called out to interview me as it was polciy at the time for them to do so in such severe cases of food poisoning. I told the guy exactly where I bought the food that I was 99.99% sure caused the food poisoning namely a coronation chicken sandwich bought from a corner shop in cleveland that kept its sandwiches on a wooden shelf in the heated shop. Because I didnt know the NAME of the shop and it was out of my local area..and his, obviously, nothing what so ever was ever done about it. Unless they have to do no actual work and the case is easy for them/in the public eye/someone dies they wont do a thing.

They vary by authority, being fair.

Food poisoning is notoriously difficult to trace once the evidence has gone - as there is little proof.

Similar experience with food poisoning and food authorities.

My wife had a very nasty case last year, picked up at an Indian restaurant close to Gatwick airport on the night before our Honeymoon. I had a light case too (as I helped her to finish her meal). There was absolutely no doubt it was this place that had caused it, as the only other food eaten in the previous 24hrs was washed fruit and yoghurt......

€2k of hospital bills in Mexico and a very expensive Honeymoon all but ruined. Environmental health didn't want to know. Despicable IMO.

Something from my history: At a wedding, where people came across the world for, out of the 40 people that went, 20 were pretty ill (food poisoning), but only 1 went to the doctors the first day (a chef, has to be thorough). The only common place for the 20 people was the wedding venue. It was over a weekend, with buffets etc, so not everyone ate every type of food.

As there was only 1 doctors note, nothing came of it. Disgusting attitude from H&S, it was clearly the fking wedding venue.