To think Asda strawberries must be covered in poison?

[MrsWinnibago]

My sister bought some from Asda yesterday and her son ate quite a few and then said "Mum I'm all itchy!" and she looked and found his neck and face was covered in a red rash. No previous history of strawberry sensitivity and he's 10 years old.

Later, her adult DD ate some and immediately had the same reaction...this DD also has no history of allergies at all.

My sister had washed them under running water...she washes all fruit well...she won't be buying them anymore and I certainly won't either!

I assume they must be covered in pesticides!

DifferentName that's right! It's so obvious...why would 2 people...a child and an adult BOTH suddenly develop a reaction on the same frigging day!?...but to read people's reactions on here they'd rather defend a giant corporation well known for it's shit attitude!

I'm not a vigilante...I'm a normal person...I just don't like things like this which most people ignore and which could be putting people at risk. Some of the pesticides used affect children's sexual development...hormones are known to be affected and Asda apparently continued using one in particular despite saying they would not.

Wally yes...I said in the OP...my sister washes all fruit well.

Probably all these pesticides, fungicides and God knows what else they keep spraying on our food. You should make a complaint.

Strawberries from one farm will go to several different supermarkets. The fruit will all be picked at the same time and sorted in the pack house. They are just packaged differently, according to each retailer's different specifications.

I have never heard of strawberries being coated with anything to make them shinier! This is my knowledge of the UK industry though. We're they British berries? The variety will be shown on the front of the punnet - perhaps your son has an allergy to a particular variety? They can be surprisingly different in their characteristics. I hope your son is feeling better.

Tigger I've told my sister that...she's thrown them away though so no chance of finding out what was on them.
Midgey not my strawberries...my sister's. Not my son...my sister's.

Sorry, I hope your sister's son is feeling better. If she still has her receipt, or in fact probably even if she doesn't, she can still contact the store and find out what variety was on sale that day. Mass supermarkets have very strict traceability rules so they should be able to tell her this. It doesn't sound like she will buy strawberries at Asda again, but if she avoids the variety at other supermarkets she will hopefully avoid a repeat of her unpleasant experience with these berries.

My DD has had an allergic reaction to our totally organic vegetable patch!

The Dr reckoned she has a tree sap allergy, and the sap was on the veg/soil for some reason.

Btw, with sap and pollen allergies washing isn't always enough to get it off, this is why some people can eat cooked tomatoes but not fresh, they are actually reacting to the tomato pollen on the fruit which is impossible to wash off but is destroyed in the cooking process.

TeWi but my sister's two children would not BOTH have had an allergic reaction suddenly on the same day would they. They have never had any allergies and for both to react in the same way suggests more than an allergy.

I eat Asda strawberries every day, unwashed, and no reaction at all.

You are jumping to conclusions, OP.

Why not? My DD had a known allergy to tomato pollen but nothing else when she had this reaction (at 5) it's really not an unknown thing to happen!

If you really think they reacted to a chemical on the strawberries it's pretty odd not to follow it up, other people could be hurt - but if you tell asda they can do a recall.

LastTango I seriously doubt it.

TeWe you really think that BOTH DC aged 10 and 24 respectively had a reaction on the SAME DAY after eating the same food?

Well, if you are that sure I suggest you complain to Asda, not on here. I am sure they will take every precaution. Do it now!

If you really think it's a chemical I have no idea why you are telling us and not asda - we can't do anything, they can!

I'm not sure they will take ANY precaution sadly. They have been told by multiple agencies to reduce the amount of chemicals found on their produce and still continue to do it.

TeWi er...to spread awareness. If you're not interested then why come on?

Hey MrsW - chill, stop having a go at people and smile.

Being an organic product (as in a fruit, not necessarily grown using organic methods), strawberries like any natural thing will vary in their make up. This is why one apple of the same variety from a different crop might taste different from another, and why the same grape variety grown in Northern France gives wine which tastes very different to wine produced in Australia, even if the production methods are identical.

Terroir, innit.

It's possible that the particular allergen the Op's children reacted to was particularly high in this crop. Now that might be a pesticide, but it could also be a chemical naturally present in strawberries.

I don't know about strawberries This year is Picota cherries for me all the way. £1 for a punnet at Tescos. I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough....

Tango I'm not "having a go" thanks. I'm defending myself...you;d see that if you read the thread properly.

Blatant allergy and bad coincidence.

Not poision.

Get some Tesco strawberries and see.....