Severe Food Poisoning at Woolworths

On July 20th, 2024, I went shopping at Woolworths Watercrest and bought a packet of savory pancakes among other grocery items.

When I got home, I started preparing lunch. As I was prepping, I ate one pancake and immediately realized it tasted off and rotten.

The more I cut into them, the stronger the foul smell became. It was clear that the food was contaminated. I rushed back to the store and asked the supervisor to smell them. She didn't give me any hassle and took the item easily, mentioning that she had seen me there earlier.

I took some other items and left the store. That night, I felt extremely bloated and nauseous, eventually leading to severe stomach cramps, stabbing pains, and diarrhea.

By Monday, the pain was unbearable, so I went to the doctor. This was unlike anything I had felt before. The doctor gave me medication and an injection, which I started taking immediately.

Given that I had only eaten food from Woolworths on July 20th and nothing else because I couldn't stomach anything, I was certain the food poisoning came from those pancakes. I called the Watercrest branch on Monday, July 22nd, to inform them.

They promised to investigate and get back to me, which was all I wanted – for them to check the product and explain what was wrong with it, as I had asked the supervisor to smell it that day. My condition worsened, with constant vomiting depleting my energy levels. I had to return to the doctor on Tuesday for a drip and another prescription. The Watercrest employees kept calling daily to update me that they had escalated the matter.. On July 24th, I received a call from head office, where a lady said she would involve their technologist and get back to me. Despite not wanting to escalate this initially due to the seriousness with which the Watercrest employees were handling it, the prolonged investigation is infuriating, especially as my health continues to deteriorate. The investigation process has been agonizingly slow and frustrating since handled by the “head office” as the last day I heard from them was in the 24th!

I am a regular Woolworths customer because, for me, quality is better than quantity. However, this is not the first time I have experienced bad quality food from Woolworths. The quality is slowly dropping!

I demand answers immediately!

Food poisoning is deadly!📌