out of date from marks and spencers eaten at 7 mths pregnant

[lesleypoo]

I am 7 months pregnant and bought a king prawn sandwich at marks and spencers on fri 1st feb this year, i was eating it and thought it tasted yukky (at 7months pregnant everything tastes a bit strange!) ... I looked at it and noticed brown lettuce so i checked the packaging and it was a day out of date! I immediatly went back to the store and complained, at the same time the thought of it churned my stomache and i threw up .... What should i do? I filled out a form with them and they were very sympathetic, however the form just states i was ill for 5mins though, when i reality i cancelled my dinner that evening and stayed in the hotel i was staying at instead (i was in edinburgh for a special dinner that night). The thought of the taste and what i had eaten made me unable to do anything, also i was scared that i may become sick as I spoke to the nhs helpline and they informed me that if i was going to be ill it would happen that evening or in the night. I spent the ret of my time away wretching and shaking with anxiety!. I live 4 hrs drive away so couldnt go home either... As it turned out i didnt suffer food poisoning possibly due to the fact that i vomited it all up in the store immediatly after i ate it, it was definatly of though... Any suggestions on what i should do or should i just leave it as it is?

[Tichfield]

Well, M&S made a mistake not removing an out of date item from their shelf.

But I think maybe you bear some responsibility too for not looking at the date on it before you eat it.

Anyway no real damage done.

Hopefully M&S gave you your money back.

[filthiestfis]

Oh please. You are over-reacting so much! Do you know how many sandwiches I have eaten "out of date" by a couple of days? Lots! Never had any problems. Supermarkets protect themselves by putting an early Use By label on food but its still fine to eat a day or two after, just maybe not as fresh. Why did you react like this? Did you think you were going to die?

[filthiestfis]

By the way, I have worked in supermarkets before and it sounds like a genuine mistake on their part. It happens. Superarket workers are meant to check product dates at the end of the day when tidying up the shelves but occasionally something like this happens.

[whiffey]

An interesting topic, Use-By dates.

If the sandwich has a use-by of 2nd Feb, do you really think it would be teeming with salmonella on the 3rd ? There is a margin of safety built in for your and the store's protection.

Another case - packets of cold meat are often dated with a use-by several weeks ahead. Again, are they going to become dangerous just one or two days after this ?

Use-by dates are to be observed, but at the same time need a little bit of commonsense thought.

[filthiestfis]

Exactly Whiffey. You said it better than I ever could ;-)

[helpmetoo]

i had better watch out then and set my alarm clock for midnight so i can immediately dispose of any food which is going to instantly turn killer at the stroke of twelve,

most food these days will last well past the sell by and use by date especially if kept refridgerated

me thinks you over react

[gina32]

stores often take out of date food of fthe shelves and re-wrap it with another date so they dont loose money or even have the product, bread or meat for instance and leave it in the fridge for a day or so and then wrap it, unless you work in the food industry you wouldnt know what happens

[filthiestfis]

Gina32-I dont know where you get your ideas from but I worked at Morrisons and I can tell you that not once did I see this illegal practice happening. Obviously the deli counter is exempt from this.

[B00]

You also shouldn't be eating prawns whilst pregnant, fresh, out of date or otherwise.

[squarebear]

I think you overreacted to say the least.

"I spoke to the NHS helpline."
"I spent the rest of my time away wretching and shaking with anxiety!".

You're kidding us right?

[Gromit]

"Not just any old Botulism, its M&S Botulism"

[Ice.Maiden]

Brilliant gromit!!!!! However.....considering the sandwich contained prawns, you have to watch if these are out of date - and especially if a pregnant woman eats one. Out of date seafood can make you very poorly. Lesleypoo - the problem neednt've come from the sandwich, but you could try asking for your money back - and then forgetting about it. x

[filthiestfis]

Ice.Maiden: good point but those prawns have probably been prefrozen at least once along the way so theyre hardly fresh.

[Gromit]

Don't read this if you think supermarket prawns are fresh...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/artic le1813836.ece

[whiffey]

Question within a question. If the sandwiches were free of pathogenic bacteria (one assumes) when they were packed into their airtight cartons, how do any subsequently get in to spoil them ? Same with cooked meats. I have often wondered this.

[gina32]

filthiestis, i dont get my "ideas" from anywhere i worked at a store and seen it happen many a time

[Ice.Maiden]

I believe Gina - and gromit - that's YUCK!

[gina32]

it is NOT illegal to sell best before, sell by or display until food that is past its date it is however illegal if it has a use by date

[filthiestfis]

Thats pretty obvious!

[kaztuz]

You really shouldn't be eating shellfish when you are pregnant anyway!!