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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should I complain re food poisoning

19 replies

jessikaka · 20/01/2014 10:27

I ordered some platters of food from a large supermarket for a party yesterday. Just sandwiches etc. since then I and 2 guests have gone down with suspected food poisoning - d&v . Not sure how to go about complaint? Do I need to visit a doctor. Usually I wouldn't bother as feel lousy but improving. Thanks for any advice!

OP posts:

Original poster

jessikaka · 20/01/2014 10:29

I just feel so fed up as spent almost 200 on platters

OP posts:

poopooheadwillyfatface · 20/01/2014 10:30

I would contact Environmental Health, they can advise you on how to proceed. However there are also lots of D and V bugs around too.

TheLostPelvicFloorOfPoosh · 20/01/2014 10:32

I would call head office customer services and explain the situation.

NCISaddict · 20/01/2014 10:34

Depends whether you're sure it's food poisoning, tbh I would have expected more people to have gone down with D&V if it was, I'm assuming if you spent £200 there were more people there? It could be 'just' a bug which you caught at the same time.
I think you would have to have evidence from testing or at least a large number of the party to have gone down with the same symptoms.

MmeLindor · 20/01/2014 10:35

Yes, you should complain because if it is from the sandwiches, the company needs to take a good look at their preparation.

I believe that Salmonella is a notifiable disease, so you would have to have that confirmed by the doc. Do you have any leftover sandwiches that you could pass to environmental health?

DoJo · 20/01/2014 10:35

I think you would probably need to have food poisoning diagnosed before accusing anyone of anything.

littledrummergirl · 20/01/2014 10:37

Take a sample of the suspect food back to the store so they can send it for testing. They have systems in place to deal with this. They are unable to do much without evidence.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 20/01/2014 10:47

Agree with a PP that, if the food was to blame, more than 2 would be affected. Check with other guests how they are feeling.

notundermyfoof · 20/01/2014 10:57

I would assume its a bug if only 3 of you got ill tbh, there are lots of nasty things going around at this time of year. Can you contact the other people from the party and see if they are ok?

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 20/01/2014 11:28

I think that it's not the sandwiches, I suspect it a bug that's going around.

The whole party would have came down with it.

CatThiefKeith · 20/01/2014 11:37

Your first point of call should be your GP. If it is food poisoning, and your friends have the same diagnosis, then you should contact Environmental health.

ProudAS · 20/01/2014 12:52

It may take a little longer for some people to get symptoms, some people may have less sensitive stimachs or it could only be those who had certain fillings. Seems a bit odd that 3 people have got d&v at once if it wasn't food.

NCISaddict · 20/01/2014 12:53

Not odd at all if it's norovirus. It's horrendously infectious.

Bursarymum · 20/01/2014 12:57

Can you get the food tested? I know someone who caught salmonella poisoning from tesco eggs and if was proven.

Laurel1979 · 20/01/2014 13:42

You should contact your GP surgery and arrange to have a stool sample. If it confirms food poisoning the labs will automatically notify Public Health who will contact you for details about the source of the food.

mummymeister · 20/01/2014 14:19

contact your gp and environmental health at your local council. make a list of all your friends who were there and then note who was ill. keep a sample of as much of the food as possible - 3 different types of sandwich 3 samples. as your gp to pot your stool sample and tell eh that you are doing this and that you have kept food samples. when I was an eho the biggest problem wasn't establishing that the person had FP but proving where it had come from because there were no food samples. keep a time line - time food delivered, straight in fridge, eaten at Xx, ill at Y sort of thing. you absolutely must report it because people in poor health, the elderly and v young do die of certain strains so you will be protecting other peoples health.

phantomnamechanger · 20/01/2014 14:50

when catering is the cause of a food poisoning, it is obvious because of the large numbers of connected people affected.

Unless dozens of your guests are ill (and £200 of food sounds like a large do) then it is likely to be "just" a bug, picked up anywhere.

phantomnamechanger · 20/01/2014 14:52

Oh, should have said, I hope you are feeling well soon and that there are no further guests become ill. If they do, DO NOT let the provider do their own testing - my friends dodgy pot of egg mayo sandwich filling went AWOL when the supermarket had it back. Should have gone to environmental health.

CuChullain · 20/01/2014 15:05

Unless you have been diagnosed by your GP as having food poisoning the supermarket will not admit liability for anything. At best you will get some weasel worded letter from them informing you that they prepare their foods in full compliance with industry hygiene regs and that their last inspection of the facilities on x date indicated nothing untoward, however as token of their good will here is a £1 voucher that you can claim on your next BLT sandwich purchase.

Curl out a turd and give it to your GP for testing/analysis, even then if food poisoning is diagnosed the supermarket will try and blame it on whatever else you ate that day.

Good luck

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