Food past best before sold to me

Kurenka

Hi all,

I realise a similar question has been asked before but it was over 10 years ago from what I could see on a quick Google search and these things change!

I'm currently recovering from a very bad bout food poisoning after Green Chef send me a bo, which included some pork mince 11 days past its best before (on the date of delivery, and was 14 days past when consumed).

Yes, 100% I should have checked the packaging. But it isn't the first time I've bought from them (I do so every 4-6 weeks as a little treat to myself) and they advertise themselves as "food fresher than you can get at the supermarket".

To their credit, I contacted their Customer Service yesterday evening and I woke up to an email this morning informing me that a refund of the whole box was on its way to me.

Sadly though I had some big plans this weekend. I was supposed to travel a long way for a family reunion following a bereavement late last year, where because of the location of the funeral and how wide spread we all are we couldn't all get there.

So I've lost money on a hotel, but also probably the last chance to see family members all together as sadly with the ages of my family the next reason for a gathering is likely to be another funeral rather than something like a wedding.

Just wandering if I could pursue them for any more compensation or if fault is with me for not checking the date!

unforeseen

Do you have proof that it was caused by their product? 

Kurenka

Not 100%, I had eaten earlier in the day, though nothing to my knowledge that could cause food poisoning.

In the 24hr leading up to symptoms (which kicked in some 4-8 hours after the meal) had just this meal, some fruit and a ploughman's sandwich (no mayo).

sarah1972

Kurenka said:

Hi all,

I realise a similar question has been asked before but it was over 10 years ago from what I could see on a quick Google search and these things change!

I'm currently recovering from a very bad bout food poisoning after Green Chef send me a bo, which included some pork mince 11 days past its best before (on the date of delivery, and was 14 days past when consumed).

Yes, 100% I should have checked the packaging. But it isn't the first time I've bought from them (I do so every 4-6 weeks as a little treat to myself) and they advertise themselves as "food fresher than you can get at the supermarket".

To their credit, I contacted their Customer Service yesterday evening and I woke up to an email this morning informing me that a refund of the whole box was on its way to me.

Sadly though I had some big plans this weekend. I was supposed to travel a long way for a family reunion following a bereavement late last year, where because of the location of the funeral and how wide spread we all are we couldn't all get there.

So I've lost money on a hotel, but also probably the last chance to see family members all together as sadly with the ages of my family the next reason for a gathering is likely to be another funeral rather than something like a wedding.

Just wandering if I could pursue them for any more compensation or if fault is with me for not checking the date!

Surely you mean use by not best before on pork mince. 

Can you prove it was 11 days after the use by date? 

11 days past, it really wouldn’t look or smell nice at all …. 

Can you prove that you ate it and that it and it alone made you ill? 

It’s your responsibility to check dates, especially with food boxes to work out what goes out of date first so you know what order to cook them in around your schedules.

They made a huge mistake and have refunded you so you’re not out of pocket.  

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

JGB1955

sarah1972 said:

 

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

The OP said best before, NOT use by.

sarah1972

JGB1955 said:

sarah1972 said:

 

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

The OP said best before, NOT use by.

Fresh pork will not have a  best before on it, it’s fresh pork  so it will be use by for food safety. 

Best before is totally different. 

Best before - food quality 
Use by - food safety 

elsien

JGB1955 said:

sarah1972 said:

 

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

The OP said best before, NOT use by.

If they are  sending fresh meat, and I have no idea how these services work, it would have a use by date not a best before date. 

I’ve also just checked the FAQs which say
“ As a general rule, our protein and dairy ingredients should be used within four days of delivery, but please check the expiry date on the ingredients packaging.”
so you were within their timescale, I would’ve been had it been fresh when delivered. 

I can’t see them covering you for any consequential loss though. You are presuming it’s for food poisoning, and it might be, but there are also some stomach viruses going around and it may be one of those that you’ve caught. You would need to see in a GP and had tests done to prove otherwise.

I might be tempted to go higher up the chain, and ask what they’ve done to stop such a mistake being made in future, and push for a bit more. You could also go to environmental health but again it’s whether you still have any of the evidence left.

sarah1972

elsien said:

JGB1955 said:

sarah1972 said:

 

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

The OP said best before, NOT use by.

They’re sending fresh meat, and I have no idea how these services work, it would have a use by date not a best before date.
I’ve also just checked the FAQs which say
“ As a general rule, our protein and dairy ingredients should be used within four days of delivery, but please check the expiry date on the ingredients packaging.”

Yep as I have just explained to  @JGB1955 above. 

JGB1955

sarah1972 said:

elsien said:

JGB1955 said:

sarah1972 said:

 

It is absolutely disgusting though that they sent pork 11 days after its use by date, I certainly would never use them again !

The OP said best before, NOT use by.

They’re sending fresh meat, and I have no idea how these services work, it would have a use by date not a best before date.
I’ve also just checked the FAQs which say
“ As a general rule, our protein and dairy ingredients should be used within four days of delivery, but please check the expiry date on the ingredients packaging.”

Yep as I have just explained to  @JGB1955 above. 

I was merely reporting what the OP had said - I agree with you totally!

Kurenka

Sorry yes, don't know why my brain went to Best Before as it is Use By on the packaging.

I doubt a GP would have seen me outside of the most severe of situations. I'm sure I'd have gotten a "nil by mouth, sip water, plenty of bedrest and see how you are in 48 hours" response (not a shot at Dr's, they just don't have time to deal with every illness people get).

The amount of hoops they would make me jump through probably doesn't sound like trying to push for more would get me anywhere, but I certainly won't be trusting them again and closing my account once the refund arrives!

sarah1972

Kurenka said:

Sorry yes, don't know why my brain went to Best Before as it is Use By on the packaging.

I doubt a GP would have seen me outside of the most severe of situations. I'm sure I'd have gotten a "nil by mouth, sip water, plenty of bedrest and see how you are in 48 hours" response (not a shot at Dr's, they just don't have time to deal with every illness people get).

The amount of hoops they would make me jump through probably doesn't sound like trying to push for more would get me anywhere, but I certainly won't be trusting them again and closing my account once the refund arrives!

The gp wouldn’t be able to confirm what exactly gave you the food poisoning either and it would be a waste of nhs time to be honest. 

I wholeheartedly agree with you, close your account once the refund arrives x