Hi
I’m writing about food recalls - think needles in strawberries, Listeria in frozen mixed vegies and fresh rockmelon, undeclared cow’s milk in coconut milk - and would love to hear from anyone who has been affected by a food recall.
Have you, or someone you know, ever purchased a food product that has been recalled?
Have you every consumed a food product that was subsequently recalled, and been concerned about your health?
Have you, or someone you know, ever been affected (i.e. got sick or had to be seen by medical practitioners) as a result of consuming a recalled food product?
Have you ever returned a recalled food product for a refund?
How do you generally find out about food recalls? Through social media? TV? Newspapers?
We rely mainly on the internet ABC web news with TV news occasionally.
It would be pointless expecting us to be aware from a news paper add or from a Ch7,9 news item as they are not part of our routine. We have occasionally observed small discrete notices in the local Woolies, but even with the strawberry crisis there were no obvious notices in our local store at Beerwah!
Lucky?
P.s. perhaps it should be mandatory for large 200cm high notices at the store entry and an A3 one at each check out to advise customers of all current recalls state or nationally. Yes Woolies might have to post a notice re an Aldi product they do not sell, but so be it!
Alternately there could be a required minimum number of short 20sec adds on all media across the day, say one per hour, for a few days tapering off up to a week or longer based on the scale and risk!
If the suppliers and retailers were asked to foot the bill would it make them any more secretive or more cautious, or is it just about looking after the community and doing the right thing?
Have you, or someone you know, ever purchased a food product that has been recalled?
Yes, a number over the years.
Have you every consumed a food product that was subsequently recalled, and been concerned about your health?
Yes, as the recall from memory was due to dairy not being included on the label, it was a fish product. As dairy is no issue for us, consumed the product. Had no health concerns.
Another was black sliced olives which we took back as it had potential glass contamination. Didn’t consume this one.
Have you, or someone you know, ever been affected (i.e. got sick or had to be seen by medical practitioners) as a result of consuming a recalled food product?
No.
Have you ever returned a recalled food product for a refund?
Fish one, even though the recall was to return for full refund, we ate it as the reason for the recall did not concern us.
Another product, sliced black olives we returned as it had potential glass contamination.
How do you generally find out about food recalls? Through social media? TV? Newspapers?
One of the few advantages of Woolworths Everyday Rewards card is they notify you by email if in the past one has purchased a product subject of a recall.
Also, recalls are posted on the doors on entry to Woolworths supermarkets.
Strawberries, Black & Gold frozen diced mixed vegetables.
Consumed before becoming aware - Veg = aware, but not worried
No affects
No - too late (eaten)
ABC news on-line (we don’t get papers, watch little TV news / current affairs, shop about once a week)
The Black & Gold veg did change our habits, as I assumed all frozen veg was Australian - these were from China - so now check the packet before buying.
