My complaint:
On Sunday the 16th of February 2020 I went to the coop store in Tingley, Bradford Road to purchase some groceries I picked up off the shelves a packet of Tilda peri peri rice and as I usually would, checked the date the product goes out of date (this was still in date) expiring 0421 I then paid for my items and left for home. I then prepared a meal for my husband and child in which I torn a 2cm tear at the top of the packaging (as instructions on the packet indicate doing so) placed the peri peri rice into the microwave for the 2 minute required time, once this time was up I removed the rice (in its packet still) from the microwave usually u can smell the peri peri but on this occasion I couldn’t so i then pushed my fork through the slightly opened packet to fluff up the rice and try it after the first forkful of rice I thought this doesn’t taste right taste awfully bland so I tried another forkful thinking that maybe the peri peri hasn’t coated all the rice in which this resulted in me immediately feeling terribly sick I then decided to have a detailed look at the product as I knew I’d not eaten anything throughout the day what could of caused me to feel unwell and a awfully upset stomach, I torn the top of the sachet off completely (given ur only supposed to open the Product 2cm I wouldnt of been able to see the horror of inside the packaging until it were cooked obviously) and I was utterly disgusted and incredibly angry with what I found in the food product i had just purchased the rice was riddled in mould and absolutely not for human consumption, which resulted in me vomitting and having to use the toilet to empty my bowels on several occasions, the product was still in date by 14months on the shelves otherwise I wouldn’t of purchased that product quite obviously, I am incredibly angry that this product has caused me ill health however I am very thankful that neither my husband or child eaten the product because the outcome could of been a lot worse but this is totally unacceptable if I wouldn’t of tried it nor opened the product fully I would of assumed (given its in date) the product was ok for my family to eat just like anyone else would of done too. I then rang the coop store to report this product so it could be removed from shelves and in all honesty to see what they were going to do in regards to the situation I was told I could get a refund of the £1 cost of the rice in which I found insulting as it isn’t about money it’s the principle that I’ve paid to eat a product what not only made me poorly it wasn’t fit for human consumption I taken pictures of the product also and it’s very visible to see the mould on the photos too this is absolutely unacceptable and I will be ensuring that the product is removed from all shelves in stores and that I do receive some kind of compensation for the ill health and the distress that this has caused myself.
Suggested solution:
The company must resolve my complaint by removing all Tilda peri peri rice products from shelves across stores if this has happened to myself it could quite well of caused others to have ill health too and that I don't want anybody else to suffer like I have because of purchasing a product they believe is fit for consumption. Money is nothing compared to your health but due to me buying a disgraceful food product it's made me ill in which I've paid really to be poorly and that is unacceptable so I would like some compensation of some kind for the ill health and distress this has caused me, if I wouldn't of tried it and then noticed all the mould id of fed my child that and the outcome could of been more serious than just me been ill because of the product. So I'd say in this case you've got off very lightly but this does need resolving and I do wish to seek compensation of some kind. I have since attached photos of the product and would appreciate that this matter gets resolved immediately to prevent anyone else from harm.