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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for wanting compensation from Morissons after getting ill from BBQ?

295 replies

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 19:43

Had a BBQ at ours last evening. It was me, DH, our two DC, my MIL and FIL, my sister and her partner. DH popped into Morrisons at about 2:30 to get the food, including a packet of their own-brand burgers.

We started the BBQ at 6:15 and ate at about 7ish. DH was cooking while I was getting everything else ready, so I wasn’t really watching the BBQ. Luckily… it was sweltering next to it. Got my burger straight off the thing, nothing wrong with it, just that normal brown edges and that bright pink in the middle just like you get from a BBQ burger. At about 10 I started feeling really unwell and was vomiting during the night. It’s now 7pm the day after and I still feel awful. This morning I looked at the burger packet and noticed the eat by date was 14/08/26, which is the exact day we ate them.

What is making me suspicious is that it was Morrisons own-brand food, so presumably Morrisons are responsible for making sure the date printed on their packaging is correct. If the date is wrong, how are customers supposed to know whether the food is actually safe? I relied on the date when I ate it. Nobody else who ate the burgers seems to have become ill, but I don’t think that necessarily rules them out because people react differently and I may have eaten more than everyone else. I still have the packaging and the receipt from Morrisons, so I have proof of exactly what I bought and when.

I’m considering contacting Morrisons and asking them to investigate the batch and explain why I’ve become ill after eating something on the actual use-by date. I’m also wondering whether I should be asking for compensation, because if their date was incorrect then surely that’s quite a serious food safety issue? AIBU?

OP posts:
MegJoBethandAmytoo · 15/08/2026 22:17

I want ten mill-yon pounds pleeeeeaaase Mr Morrison.

comofn · 15/08/2026 22:20

This seriously isn’t real!

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:20

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 19:43

Had a BBQ at ours last evening. It was me, DH, our two DC, my MIL and FIL, my sister and her partner. DH popped into Morrisons at about 2:30 to get the food, including a packet of their own-brand burgers.

We started the BBQ at 6:15 and ate at about 7ish. DH was cooking while I was getting everything else ready, so I wasn’t really watching the BBQ. Luckily… it was sweltering next to it. Got my burger straight off the thing, nothing wrong with it, just that normal brown edges and that bright pink in the middle just like you get from a BBQ burger. At about 10 I started feeling really unwell and was vomiting during the night. It’s now 7pm the day after and I still feel awful. This morning I looked at the burger packet and noticed the eat by date was 14/08/26, which is the exact day we ate them.

What is making me suspicious is that it was Morrisons own-brand food, so presumably Morrisons are responsible for making sure the date printed on their packaging is correct. If the date is wrong, how are customers supposed to know whether the food is actually safe? I relied on the date when I ate it. Nobody else who ate the burgers seems to have become ill, but I don’t think that necessarily rules them out because people react differently and I may have eaten more than everyone else. I still have the packaging and the receipt from Morrisons, so I have proof of exactly what I bought and when.

I’m considering contacting Morrisons and asking them to investigate the batch and explain why I’ve become ill after eating something on the actual use-by date. I’m also wondering whether I should be asking for compensation, because if their date was incorrect then surely that’s quite a serious food safety issue? AIBU?

Is NO ONE taking any notice of the BBQ ban???

Fififlamingo · 15/08/2026 22:20

Sounds as though it wasn’t cooked through. Not Morrison’s fault.

Minasama · 15/08/2026 22:21

BoaAlba · 15/08/2026 19:50

Never eat pink burgers
They need to be cooked all the way through - it’s a thing.
With rare or medium rare steaks, all bacteria are on the outside and so searing the outside kills bacteria
With burgers or kofte or any minced meat, the bacteria have been brought into the middle of the meat and so it should be cooked all the way through to avoid food poisoning.

I did not know this - thank you!

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:22

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 19:43

Had a BBQ at ours last evening. It was me, DH, our two DC, my MIL and FIL, my sister and her partner. DH popped into Morrisons at about 2:30 to get the food, including a packet of their own-brand burgers.

We started the BBQ at 6:15 and ate at about 7ish. DH was cooking while I was getting everything else ready, so I wasn’t really watching the BBQ. Luckily… it was sweltering next to it. Got my burger straight off the thing, nothing wrong with it, just that normal brown edges and that bright pink in the middle just like you get from a BBQ burger. At about 10 I started feeling really unwell and was vomiting during the night. It’s now 7pm the day after and I still feel awful. This morning I looked at the burger packet and noticed the eat by date was 14/08/26, which is the exact day we ate them.

What is making me suspicious is that it was Morrisons own-brand food, so presumably Morrisons are responsible for making sure the date printed on their packaging is correct. If the date is wrong, how are customers supposed to know whether the food is actually safe? I relied on the date when I ate it. Nobody else who ate the burgers seems to have become ill, but I don’t think that necessarily rules them out because people react differently and I may have eaten more than everyone else. I still have the packaging and the receipt from Morrisons, so I have proof of exactly what I bought and when.

I’m considering contacting Morrisons and asking them to investigate the batch and explain why I’ve become ill after eating something on the actual use-by date. I’m also wondering whether I should be asking for compensation, because if their date was incorrect then surely that’s quite a serious food safety issue? AIBU?

That bright pink bit? Thats called UNCOOKED !

FairViewRosie25 · 15/08/2026 22:23

Er no you didn’t cook it through. Your issue not Morrisons

SunsetDrifter · 15/08/2026 22:23

It wasn't cooked properly, who eats a minced beef burger bought from the supermarket pink on the bbq? If it was steak you'd be fine (or a cut you seared then minced yourself and cooked immediately so bacteria doesn't have time to breed on the outside and end up in the middle), but not a supermarket minced burger! I just wouldn't eat pink burgers, however they are prepared personally.

Buy a food thermometer and make sure your food is cooked through properly. You can't complain to a supermarket that you didn't cook their food properly, come on now, don't be silly!

ThreadGuardDog · 15/08/2026 22:25

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:20

Is NO ONE taking any notice of the BBQ ban???

The ban is on disposable barbecues - doesn’t sound like that’s what OP was using.

ScottBakula · 15/08/2026 22:26

QuirkyHorse · 15/08/2026 19:52

You need to send a poo sample to GP and get environmental health involved if you are trying to pin it on Morrisons. Keep it in the fridge, then it will be fine for testing.

Personally, I think you are flogging a dead horse if no one else is ill.

Well at least she wasn't eating it then blaming the vet ! 😁

Spiffingdarling88 · 15/08/2026 22:26

Besidemyselfwithworry · 15/08/2026 22:16

I thought the current advice was no bbq’s?

Its advice not the law. The only thing banned is the sell of disposable bbqs.

Rosesandthorns66 · 15/08/2026 22:32

The chef needs to give you compensation.

SunsetDrifter · 15/08/2026 22:32

ThreadGuardDog · 15/08/2026 22:25

The ban is on disposable barbecues - doesn’t sound like that’s what OP was using.

Doesn't sound like her burgers saw a flame or a coal 🤣 I don't think we need to worry about her breaking any bbq bans, it was probably one of those little tikes plastic toy bbqs they sell in smyths she was using to cook her burgers.

HexInductionHour · 15/08/2026 22:34

Why can people safely eat steak tartare then ? 🤢🤢🤢🤢

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:34

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 20:00

I seriously don’t understand what you’re talking about. Why is everyone on this app so rude?

Why are you so thick?. You stated you ate pink mince as if it was a normal thing to do and now you are getting grilled. Quite rightly!

Balloonhearts · 15/08/2026 22:34

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 19:57

How was I supposed to know that? I thought BBQ meat always was like that, I’ve had BBQ’s in the past and they were like that too. Are you sure that’s the problem?

I'm sorry but if you, a grown adult woman, do not know that food is supposed to be cooked all the way through and not raw in the middle, mumsnet cannot help you. The fact that it's on a barbecue does not magically remove the bacteria.

Morrisons are not going to compensate you for lack of common sense.

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:36

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 20:04

Ok, thank you, I never knew that was a sign of being undercooked. I mean I did, but not with BBQ’d burgers. Will check on DH’s cooking next time

Do you ever wonder how some people make it to adulthood?

Strawberry53 · 15/08/2026 22:37

You can get a food thermometer and use it to check the internal temp of the burger to ensure it’s cooked through next time (not sure what temp burger should be at but you can look it up) as others have said should be cooked throughly and not be pink inside. Hope you feel better soon.

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:39

TammiesBackHurts · 15/08/2026 20:06

Thank you so much. I regret making this post, first I’m ill, now I’m being attacked and called a fool and fake.

And an idiot!

Portmore · 15/08/2026 22:40

BBQs are literally the biggest cause of food poisoning.

Failings in highly stringent processes in a large supermarket are extremely rare & account for a very tiny number of food poisoning cases.

Grendel7 · 15/08/2026 22:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Oh, they are!

AtlasCedar · 15/08/2026 22:41

It was pink in the middle. That means undercooked. User error and your cook is at fault.

hcee19 · 15/08/2026 22:43

Perhaps the burger you ate wasn't cooked throughly. How will compensation make you feel any better? You have to prove to them, they have to prove nothing. You have lost before you start. This suing culture is ridiculous

Howlerhog · 15/08/2026 22:43

Minasama · 15/08/2026 22:21

I did not know this - thank you!

Yup you can eat a slab of meat that’s pink in side as long as it’s cooked on the outside, but as soon as you mince it up and / or make it into burgers it has to be cooked through totally. Theres no such thing as a ‘rare’ burger.

AtlasCedar · 15/08/2026 22:44

HexInductionHour · 15/08/2026 22:34

Why can people safely eat steak tartare then ? 🤢🤢🤢🤢

So for steak tartare to be sold it has to be minced just before being served. The inside of a steak hasn’t ever seen air or surfaces (where the bacteria live) before it’s minced because it’s surrounded by other muscle/meat in its original animal form. As soon as it’s minced it’s exposed to air and bacteria can begin to breed. So it’s served quickly to reduce the risks.

Burgers were ground and packed days before they were cooked. Not only has oxygen got on the outside but it’s all been mixed into the meat when it was ground up and shaped. So bacteria has been mixed into the centre of the meat where it breeds away until it’s either cooked away or eaten and made you sick.

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