Finger Nail in chocolate.........yuck!!

magnumlady

My daughter was eating chocolate this afternoon and started coughing and spat in out, there in the middle of the sweet was a yellow finger nail!
I've phoned the company and they told me to send it back, so I hope they do something.
I don't want them just to get it back and do nothing about their quality control.

swingking

Was it pre-packed chocolate or was it from pick and mix.

Make sure you follow this up and take it all the way

good luck;)

miju

for the love of god man dont just send them the nail back and if you do make sure its by registered post , thats a BIIIIGGGG potential health risk that could disappear in the post

spurious

Oh God I feel sick.

I wouldn't be able to eat chocolate ever again if I'd just seen it in there, much less had it in my mouth.

I hope they don't give you free chocs as compensation.

Gazza22

If they don't compensate you fairly and be nice about the issue (and i don't mean with a big fat cheque), contact your local environmental health officer's department. I would either way.

Obviously the employee who was on that line isn't adhering to food safety procedures!!

squibs

You have to wonder, does anybody regulate this? It seems the only authority with a knowledge of how many fingernails, metal fragments, mouse parts, etc. found in food is the maker of that food. Most incidents can be fobbed off with a box of freebies to the complainant. If the occasional person takes it further, the food maker can claim it was a once off - and who can prove different?

magnumlady

It was the top of a finger nail in a wrapped choc that was in a chocolate box, not your cheapy chocs either.
I'm going to send it by registered post and I really hope they take it seriously because it is gross.
I've had blue string in a chicken burger once and got a 6 euro voucher from that(!)
This I think is so much worse as it came off a person, it really makes you wonder what else could be in our food.

Archeron

Magnumlady, If I were you, I'd cut in half (gross I know) and send them only half of it. Let them know thats what you are doing. Otherwise, I bet they will come back to say it wasnt a nail, but >insert poor excuse< instead.

A large Dublin bakery tried this with us, and told us that mouse poo was just a burnt oat. When we told them that we still had the other half, they changed their tune quite quickly.

pburns

Contact the Food Safety Authority:

'The Authority operates an Advice Line on 1890 33 66 77 that provides information and advice on a range of food safety issues. Staffed by trained advisors and food scientists, the Advice Line is open on Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.'
http://www.fsai.ie/about/index.asp

Also: http://www.fsai.ie/make_complaint_form.asp

magnumlady

Thanks so much for all your help.
I phoned the food safety authority and they told me to contact my local environmental health dept. so I did.
They want me to bring in the chocolate (and nail!) in the packaging I bought it in and they asked what shop I bought it in as they have to start their enquiries at the shop first (which I'm surprised at because the shop didn't have anything to do with the nail).
Anyway I'll let you know what happens.

mwrf

magnumlady wrote:

Anyway I'll let you know what happens.

please do, very interested in what happens

Oryx

My mum found a snail (i think it was) in some frozen veg once, the company tried the same thing, oh send it back for analysis etc. She sent the package to an independant company and had it analysed herself. When she got the report the company took it very seriously, with a company rep calling see her. I know the compensation wasnt huge, but at least they were very proactive in sorting it out once they knew she wouldnt be fobbed off.

Shes still not keen on frozen veg tho.

magnumlady

Just an update, we got a letter from the HSE stating that they had sent the chocolate away for testing and confirmed that there was a problem with it, but if I want to see the full report I have to pay them 95 euro!

deisemum

Archeron wrote:

Magnumlady, If I were you, I'd cut in half (gross I know) and send them only half of it. Let them know thats what you are doing. Otherwise, I bet they will come back to say it wasnt a nail, but >insert poor excuse< instead.

A large Dublin bakery tried this with us, and told us that mouse poo was just a burnt oat. When we told them that we still had the other half, they changed their tune quite quickly.

What was the outcome?

I've found various things over the years, mainly human hair on several occasions, peat in a ready meal, blue bandage. I normally got replacement vouchers or a box of chocolates

RainyDay

magnumlady wrote:

, but if I want to see the full report I have to pay them 95 euro!

You could try submitting a request under the Data Protection Act for a copy of any data relating to you. They can only charge €6 for this!

looksee

Was packing off sugar one time (years ago when it was packed in the shop). We packed off a cwt bag then the other person discovered that the large opal from her ring had gone. No one ever complained....

ScouseMouse

The data protection act will only help you if the info is held on a computer. Chances are it will be written or typed so it will not apply in this case.

RainyDay

superscouse wrote:

The data protection act will only help you if the info is held on a computer.

Wrong - See Data Protection Commissioner's website

The personal information to which you are entitled is that held on computer or in a manual filing system that facilitates access to information about you.