We all understand that food safety is of the utmost importance. We need to be able to trust that the food we consume hasn’t been tampered with in any way and that it’s safe for us and our families to eat.
Sadly, this trust was broken for one man in Australia who claims to have found a syringe inside a tin of peaches he had been eating for two weeks.
The man who is from Perth, Australia named Dave McKell had a terrifying experience recently when he found a syringe in a half-eaten can of peaches that he had been purchasing from his local Coles grocery store. The man had been eating these peaches with cereal for some time but was horrified to find a syringe in the can that he purchased.
Now, he fears that other cans of the same product may also be tainted and wants the brand, Gold Reef, to recall its cans of peaches to prevent harm or death to other unsuspecting consumers.
McKell had been eating the peaches with his Weet-Bix cereal every morning until he found the syringe plunger floating in the peachy syrup. He was distressed by the discovery and no longer feels safe during his breakfast routine. He will also be undergoing blood tests to make sure he did not contract any diseases from eating the tainted can of peaches.
“I’m a bit turned off by peaches now. I might go pears,” McKell told Nine News.
McKell had purchased the tainted can of peaches from the Coles grocery store in Greenwood Village in Perth’s northern neighborhood several weeks ago. However, once he discovered the syringe in the can of peaches, he immediately went back to the store to alert the grocery store staff to the alarming discovery.
Despite this, little has been done to resolve the problem, and McKell is sharing his story publicly to warn others that their cans of peaches could be tainted with a used syringe. He believes that Gold Reef brand canned fruits should be recalled from all grocery store shelves until it can be verified that the recipe has not been tainted.
“I’d like to see it get off the shelves for starters,” he said. “They (the staff) wanted me to fill out an incident report, and they wanted to take the can off me, but I didn’t want them to take the can.”
Coles, the grocery store where McKell purchased the tainted can of peaches, said that it never had a problem with its products. Gold Reef products are canned and packed in South Africa, where the manufacturer uses local ingredients obtained from the gorgeous South African landscape. Coles sold the tainted can of peaches to McKell for $3 a can.
“We apologize to the customer for their experience,” a Coles statement read. “We’re taking this matter very seriously and will be investigating with our supplier.”
The incident has caused concern for consumers who may also purchase canned fruits from Gold Reef. Many have taken to social media to express their concern and to ask if they should continue to buy these products. Some believe that Gold Reef peach halves in syrup should be recalled due to this syringe incident, while others believe that McKell’s experience may have been an isolated incident.
One Twitter user wrote, “I’m never buying canned fruit from Gold Reef again! This is disgusting and unacceptable!”
Another user tweeted, “I don’t think all Gold Reef canned fruit should be recalled because of one incident. Let’s wait for the investigation to conclude.”
It remains to be seen what the investigation will uncover, but the incident has brought attention to the potential dangers of canned fruits and the need for better quality control measures. Consumers should remain vigilant and report any suspicious findings in their food to the appropriate authorities.
Sources: AWM, Dailymail, Nine News
