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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should I just eat it and not complain??

48 replies

Ironmanrocks · 29/09/2017 16:41

Hi all,
My DP has been off today, so I cheekily asked him to sort us a lovely meal tonight. I just arrived home and he has proudly showed me a meal deal from m&s that he has for us in the fridge. All fine. I don't mind that. He got out mine and showed it to me and the card dropped off from around it and he said "it's OK, it's sealed." Except it wasn't, the cellophane top had been peeled off - literally half way across the tub. I don't really fancy it now to be honest - I'm not cross as he didn't do it on purpose, but I remember the horrible incidents in the 80's where glass and poisons were added to food in supermarkets. AIBU not to eat it? Or would you just get on with it and not worry?
Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
MumsOnCrack · 29/09/2017 16:43

I wouldn't if the film was broken

soapboxqueen · 29/09/2017 16:46

I wouldn't if the film was broken

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/09/2017 16:47

No way!

Worriedrose · 29/09/2017 16:47

Is yours different from his? If so swap it he's not bothered

AssassinatedBeauty · 29/09/2017 16:48

No! I wouldn't eat it!

Peachyking000 · 29/09/2017 16:48

I'd swap

etap · 29/09/2017 16:48

It's Friday! Chippy time!

Ginkypig · 29/09/2017 16:48

Normally the packet says somewhere on it do not eat if the cellophane is not sealed.

Original poster
Ironmanrocks · 29/09/2017 16:49

Yes mine is different as I don't eat meat. I'm glad you all feel the same as me - I was wondering if I was being a bit daft!!

OP posts:
claraschu · 29/09/2017 16:50

I wouldn't care if it looked ok.

I mean, I am happy to eat fruit and veg unpackaged and uncooked, and this is probably going to be heated up.

I think people are way way too precious about things like this, though.

Worriedrose · 29/09/2017 16:50

I would probably scrutinise it and then eat it if it didn't look like it had been fiddled with

But then i am lazy and I don't care if I die from some crazy persons poisoning, at least i would get front page in the daily mail.

EdmundCleverClogs · 29/09/2017 16:51

I'm not at all fussy, but of broken cardboard wouldn't bother me. Broken film on non-frozen food though, you couldn't pay me to eat it.

I second chippy.

BertrandRussell · 29/09/2017 16:51

I'd probably eat it- but I don't think it would be at all sensible of me to!

What's cheeky about asking him to cook dinner, by the way?

showergel1 · 29/09/2017 16:52

No i wouldn't eat it. Can't believe it got through the till like that.

claraschu · 29/09/2017 16:54

Ginky they just put warnings on everything. You know... a lot of the use-by dates are totally unnecessary... and then there are warnings like "may have been processed in a plant which also processes wheat" and things like that, which are slapped on everything to avoid lawsuits.

I grew up with parents who had lived through the great depression in the US and WW2 though, so we didn't waste food...

None of us ever gets stomach bugs, either; I can't remember the last time anyone in our family vomited, and none of us has ever had food poisoning.

gamerchick · 29/09/2017 16:56

I wouldn't eat it either, you have no idea how long it's been like that. The air could have been getting to it for days.

Just no.

AssassinatedBeauty · 29/09/2017 16:57

It's not just that it might have germs in it, it could have all sorts in it that you don't want to eat.

MerlinsScarf · 29/09/2017 16:57

Personally I wouldn't eat it. Even if it's innocently been opened it could have been on the shelf like that for ages.

I really feel for you both, it's a shame when a treat doesn't go as planned. Hope you can sort out a nice alternative. Chippy or pizza now, then replace the dodgy meal for tomorrow night?

EdmundCleverClogs · 29/09/2017 16:58

claraschu yes but they didn't have ready meals back in The Depression. For me, they are sealed until ready to cook because certain ingredients are more likely to produce nasty bacteria once they hit the air. Obviously depends on what the meal was, but if it contains egg, rice, meat etc having it unsealed, and at some point unrefrigerated, would be enough to cause food poisoning worry for me.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 29/09/2017 16:59

I wouldn’t eat it - not because it may have been poisoned (unlikely) but because it’s sealed to keep it fresh and you have no idea how long it has been open for.

ReanimatedSGB · 29/09/2017 16:59

If it's meat-free, it's less likely to poison you (assuming that it's not been fiddled with by some random wingnut) - but does it have milk/eggs/cheese in? Those can get contaminated and be dangerous.

Is M&S miles and miles away? Or would it be feasible for one of you to pop back and say, look, just bought this and the seal is broken, can I have a replacement?

AryaOfWinterfell · 29/09/2017 17:04

I wouldn’t eat it, you don’t know how long it’s been unsealed.
Why is it cheeky to ask him to cook?

lalaloopyhead · 29/09/2017 17:11

Is it too far to take it back and swap it? I'm sure M&S would oblige.

I actually don't know if I would eat it or not to be honest, though until you raised the notion I wouldn't have thought about it being tampered with.

PyongyangKipperbang · 29/09/2017 17:15

Why is it cheeky to ask him to prepare dinner?

RavingRoo · 29/09/2017 17:16

I’d eat it after thoroughly heating it up on the stove as it’s no different to a takeaway and it’s vegetarian so no real risk as long as you cook it well. The risk of someone poisoning something is miniscule but if you’re worried get your dh to take the first bite.Grin