Found dead insect in my chinese take away

Kashkai

I picked up a chicken curry from a take away today and I was merrily chomping through it when I saw "something" in the sauce. On closer inspection, it was like a small horsefly, i.e. small body but long legs.

Now the takeaway was in a sealed paper bag when I picked it up with the curry in a foil dish with a cardboard lid. When I got home, I put it on a plate and into the microwave to heat up. Then I started to eat it. So at no time was it left lying for this insect to get into it. Therefore it must have happened in the takeaway. Ok, these things happen but I feel I should go back to the takeaway and point this out. Is there any point though as they might say it happened in my house. I'm feeling a little ill at the moment which may or may not be in my head:o

Misticles

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I picked up a chicken curry from a take away today and I was merrily chomping through it when I saw "something" in the sauce. On closer inspection, it was like a small horsefly, i.e. small body but long legs.

Now the takeaway was in a sealed paper bag when I picked it up with the curry in a foil dish with a cardboard lid. When I got home, I put it on a plate and into the microwave to heat up. Then I started to eat it. So at no time was it left lying for this insect to get into it. Therefore it must have happened in the takeaway. Ok, these things happen but I feel I should go back to the takeaway and point this out. Is there any point though as they might say it happened in my house. I'm feeling a little ill at the moment which may or may not be in my head:o

You should have called them as soon as you found it and explained. Requested a replacement or refund. I would open for refund here.

foggy_lad

You should contact them and make them aware of it and also contact your local food safety inspectors as flies and other cockroach-like insects should not be in take-away food.

Kashkai

This experience might keep me away for take aways which is no bad thing I suppose.:o

I'll give them a ring tomorrow to see what they say.

Jesus Shaves

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

This experience might keep me away for take aways which is no bad thing I suppose.:o

I'll give them a ring tomorrow to see what they say.

I wouldn't bother ringing them tomorrow, you should really have done it straightaway

stevek93

Id look for a nice claim or maybe thats just me. :pac:

skinny90

stevek93 wrote: »

Id look for a nice claim or maybe thats just me. :pac:

Claim for what?

stevek93

skinny90 wrote: »

Claim for what?

Dead insect in the OPs chinese.

skinny90

I think it is just you....recommending the op to make a false claim to seek financial rewards really illustrates the kind of person you are...

upandcumming

skinny90 wrote: »

I think it is just you....recommending the op to make a false claim to seek financial rewards really illustrates the kind of person you are...

These days, that is what you call smart.

stevek93

skinny90 wrote: »

I think it is just you....recommending the op to make a false claim to seek financial rewards really illustrates the kind of person you are...

Well i wouldn't be taking to lightly finding a dead insect in my food.

skinny90

stevek93 wrote: »

skinny90 wrote: »

I think it is just you....recommending the op to make a false claim to seek financial rewards really illustrates the kind of person you are...

Well i wouldn't be taking to lightly finding a dead insect in my food.

So you'd make up false claims that you where sick and try and sue for "damages"?

P. Breathnach

stevek93 wrote: »

Id look for a nice claim or maybe thats just me. :pac:

stevek93 wrote: »

Dead insect in the OPs chinese.

stevek93 wrote: »

Well i wouldn't be taking to lightly finding a dead insect in my food.

But what exactly is the claim? I accept it is not nice to find a dead insect in a takeaway, and that the restaurant is at fault. But what has OP suffered? The loss of the meal, and some (I think small) disturbance of peace of mind. If a court entertained such a claim, OP might get a refund of the price of the meal and a token amount of damages.

In the past, judges have awarded derisory sums like one shilling as damages where a case is technically proven but the claim was clearly a try-on. I haven't noticed reports of such awards in recent years, and I suspect that is because most lawyers know the score and discourage their clients from bringing such actions.

Nanazolie

I just don't get it... You find a dead insect in your food, you feel a bit ill? I mean, have you ever had a picnic or a bbq outside? It can also happen in a kitchen, and above all in a restaurant kitchen where it might be hot and they just need to open the window, nothing wrong with that. Insects are attracted by the light, get in, land on some appetising surface only to get stuck in the sticky sauce. No big deal there

stevek93

Nanazolie wrote: »

I just don't get it... You find a dead insect in your food, you feel a bit ill? I mean, have you ever had a picnic or a bbq outside? It can also happen in a kitchen, and above all in a restaurant kitchen where it might be hot and they just need to open the window, nothing wrong with that. Insects are attracted by the light, get in, land on some appetising surface only to get stuck in the sticky sauce. No big deal there

Used to work in a kitchen and we were not allowed open the windows as for the likes of this only time the windows were open was in the summer but had mesh around them to stop insects and fly from coming in.

stevek93

P. Breathnach wrote: »

stevek93 wrote: »

Id look for a nice claim or maybe thats just me. :pac:

stevek93 wrote: »

Dead insect in the OPs chinese.

stevek93 wrote: »

Well i wouldn't be taking to lightly finding a dead insect in my food.

But what exactly is the claim? I accept it is not nice to find a dead insect in a takeaway, and that the restaurant is at fault. But what has OP suffered? The loss of the meal, and some (I think small) disturbance of peace of mind. If a court entertained such a claim, OP might get a refund of the price of the meal and a token amount of damages.

In the past, judges have awarded derisory sums like one shilling as damages where a case is technically proven but the claim was clearly a try-on. I haven't noticed reports of such awards in recent years, and I suspect that is because most lawyers know the score and discourage their clients from bringing such actions.

True. Maybe I was going a bit over broad :P unless the chinese made me violently sick then I wouldn't be looking for anything.

haulagebasher

Nanazolie wrote: »

I just don't get it... You find a dead insect in your food, you feel a bit ill? I mean, have you ever had a picnic or a bbq outside? It can also happen in a kitchen, and above all in a restaurant kitchen where it might be hot and they just need to open the window, nothing wrong with that. Insects are attracted by the light, get in, land on some appetising surface only to get stuck in the sticky sauce. No big deal there

I certainly hope I am never a customer in a restaurant where you work in the kitchens. Insects in the food are absolutetly never accepteble. The OP should absolutely not, under any circumstances, ring or contact the Chinese restaurant to tell them of the problem as this will give them a head start to clean up before the FSA inspect. My girlfriend was badly poisoned by a Chinese restaurant in the South-East and I am sick of this carry on and acceptance. The OP should go directly to the FSA and request an immediate unannounced inspection and have the book thrown at them and face the consequences.We were on holidays in Lanzarote last year and we saw cockroaches, yes cockroaches, actually crawling around on the doorstep of an italian resaurant. DISGUSTING. Half of those places on the holiday resorts would be shut down if the were in Britain or Ireland. I dread to think what the kitchen was like.

Gurgle

haulagebasher wrote: »

My girlfriend was badly poisoned by a Chinese restaurant in the South-East and I am sick of this carry on and acceptance.

There is a world of difference between food poisoning and a dead bug.

Food poisoning can only happen if someone doesn't do their job properly. Either the meat was bad when it came in, wasn't stored properly or wasn't cooked properly.

Insects tend to be small, mobile and attracted to food. It's impossible to ensure that it never happens. Its also no harm whatsoever.

stevek93

haulagebasher wrote: »

Nanazolie wrote: »

I just don't get it... You find a dead insect in your food, you feel a bit ill? I mean, have you ever had a picnic or a bbq outside? It can also happen in a kitchen, and above all in a restaurant kitchen where it might be hot and they just need to open the window, nothing wrong with that. Insects are attracted by the light, get in, land on some appetising surface only to get stuck in the sticky sauce. No big deal there

I certainly hope I am never a customer in a restaurant where you work in the kitchens. Insects in the food are absolutetly never accepteble. The OP should absolutely not, under any circumstances, ring or contact the Chinese restaurant to tell them of the problem as this will give them a head start to clean up before the FSA inspect. My girlfriend was badly poisoned by a Chinese restaurant in the South-East and I am sick of this carry on and acceptance. The OP should go directly to the FSA and request an immediate unannounced inspection and have the book thrown at them and face the consequences.We were on holidays in Lanzarote last year and we saw cockroaches, yes cockroaches, actually crawling around on the doorstep of an italian resaurant. DISGUSTING. Half of those places on the holiday resorts would be shut down if the were in Britain or Ireland. I dread to think what the kitchen was like.

I agree with you 100% no one should fine anything alive or dead in there food. It is absolutely disgusting you are right Id love to see the insides of that kitchen the OP ordered from. As for the cockroaches never knew the bloody things could fly :eek: was sleeping on the floor in the apartment in Ibiza bloody thing lept across the room at me literary **** myself lol.

stevek93

Gurgle wrote: »

haulagebasher wrote: »

Its also no harm whatsoever.

So if I put a insect im your food your reaction would be ah its no harm whatsoever. :rolleyes:

haulagebasher

Gurgle wrote: »

There is a world of difference between food poisoning and a dead bug.

Food poisoning can only happen if someone doesn't do their job properly. Either the meat was bad when it came in, wasn't stored properly or wasn't cooked properly.

Insects tend to be small, mobile and attracted to food. It's impossible to ensure that it never happens. Its also no harm whatsoever.

Difference, yes. However both are the result of complacency and a lack of attention to hygene.It is possible to prevent by having measures in place.Harmless. Couldn;t disagree more - what if that fly was on dogsh*t 5 minute before, or was vectoring a disease. What if a child eat that fly and ended up gravely ill or worse? This is why I would strongly call for the book to be thrown at the proprietors.

foggy_lad

stevek93 wrote: »

Used to work in a kitchen and we were not allowed open the windows as for the likes of this only time the windows were open was in the summer but had mesh around them to stop insects and fly from coming in.

From the op's description of the insect it could be a cockroach!

stevek93 wrote: »

As for the cockroaches never knew the bloody things could fly :eek:

Oh yes those dirty nasty little monsters can fly and they also breed like rabbits and can live happily in places you would never think of looking or cleaning and can fall into food in a busy take-away kitchen without anyone caring.

Gurgle

stevek93 wrote: »

Gurgle wrote: »

So if I put a insect im your food your reaction would be ah its no harm whatsoever. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: I'm not recommending them as a flavour enhancer, just saying its nowhere near as bad as food poisoning.

stevek93

Gurgle wrote: »

stevek93 wrote: »

Gurgle wrote: »

So if I put a insect im your food your reaction would be ah its no harm whatsoever. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: I'm not recommending them as a flavour enhancer, just saying its nowhere near as bad as food poisoning.

It could add a little zing you never know :P. But dead fly/insect could lead to food poisoning they are full of bacteria yuck.

stevek93

foggy_lad wrote: »

stevek93 wrote: »

Used to work in a kitchen and we were not allowed open the windows as for the likes of this only time the windows were open was in the summer but had mesh around them to stop insects and fly from coming in.

From the op's description of the insect it could be a cockroach!

stevek93 wrote: »

As for the cockroaches never knew the bloody things could fly :eek:

Oh yes those dirty nasty little monsters can fly and they also breed like rabbits and can live happily in places you would never think of looking or cleaning and can fall into food in a busy take-away kitchen without anyone caring.

If i must be honest didn't even know we had cockroaches over here :eek:

Nanazolie

There is a difference between a cockroach which thrives in places with bad hygiene and a fly that can get anywhere, even in the most spotless kitchen through an open door or window (okay, unless there is a very, very fine mesh over said windows).

As for insects landing on food, if you eat outdoors, this will happen. BBQs, food fairs, picnics, hot dog vendors. All fruits and vegs too (and a simple wash won't remove all bacterias, you would need to scrub them very well, or cook them)

And wait.... I'm going to put off your food for good: you should really visit some food factories. Food being thawed and refrozen, food landing on the floor, rats in the warehouses... and the worst offenders are not the flies, but people who don't wash their hands properly. How many people eat their sandwiches at their desks? It's proven that they are even worse ground for bacterias than toilets. Here you go, bon appetit

Nanazolie

haulagebasher wrote: »

Difference, yes. However both are the result of complacency and a lack of attention to hygene.It is possible to prevent by having measures in place.Harmless. Couldn;t disagree more - what if that fly was on dogsh*t 5 minute before, or was vectoring a disease. What if a child eat that fly and ended up gravely ill or worse? This is why I would strongly call for the book to be thrown at the proprietors.

Seeing what most young kids put inside their mouths, I wouldn't be too worried about a fly

keithclancy

stevek93 wrote: »

Gurgle wrote: »

So if I put a insect im your food your reaction would be ah its no harm whatsoever. :rolleyes:

I've often had a fly land in my Beer and just taken it out and flicked it away.

Its amazing what people think is clean and whats not.

An Insect is pretty clean in food terms, very low surface area so not much chance of getting bacteria in large enough amounts to make you sick.

Roaches are a problem since they breed like crazy. Worse thing you can do is stomp on them as they may have eggs inside them that will hatch eventually.

Best way is to put them in the fire.

If someone sneezes or coughs on your food this contains a high amount of bacteria, your mouth is full of nasty stuff.

Also, who here ever cleans their belt ? its usually the one thing people never wash and its the thing everyone touches after they wipe their backside.

Flying insects are everywhere, ffs .. its not going to do you any harm, the main thing in restaurants is that surfaces are kept clean and cooked and uncut food is kept on/in seperate containers.

Nothing to worry about op, i've had roasted crickets on a stick before

People are so used to seeing perfectly packaged stuff in supermarkets that they've lost touch with food, I grow fruit, veg and herbs in my own garden.

People eat stuff from a supermarket and flip out when theres an insect in the food, yet completely ignore the pesticides that they use to keep the bugs away.

FanadMan

stevek93 wrote: »

Id look for a nice claim or maybe thats just me. :pac:

I'd say that if this was posted in Legal, you'd be laughed at. Read plenty of similar cases there and unless the fly has made you seriously ill all you'd get is the price of the meal.

Nanazolie

And choose to ignore what has gone into said packed foods... A friend once worked in a bread factory.... Put me off "on site baked" bread for a while: the guys would pick up the bread with hands that were gloved but had been recently used to scratch crotches (needless to say, still gloved). Breads that landed on the floor would break so would be thawed, reformed (they would be uncooked at that stage) and refrozen.

I once worked in McD..., my colleagues had the most dubious hand hygiene, wouldn't mind flipping burgers on the grill after picking them up from the floor. But hey, you spent 2 hours at night shining these appliances with an e-cloth so it was spotless. What you don't see...

stevek93

keithclancy wrote: »

I've often had a fly land in my Beer and just taken it out and flicked it away.

Ah i don't understand some people.