After quizzing more than 1,000 Which? members, we uncovered multiple instances of foreign objects making their way into items on supermarket shelves.*
Below, we take a closer look at the unusual items our members have found. Plus, you'll find expert advice on what to do if you have bought a recalled product.
Eat well, live better and stay healthy.Shoppers share their stories
Asked if they had ever found something in a food or drink item from a supermarket that shouldn’t be there, 12% of respondents said yes.
Among the more eyebrow-raising finds were an industrial-sized bolt in some packaged fish, a fly in a packet of crackers, as well as woodlice, jewellery and animal droppings in various other food purchases.
Members also reported coming across items such as a caterpillar, a splinter of wood in salted peanut and 'a very large lump that could have been gristle or tendon in a meat pie.
One Which? member told us that they had found a bone in their cereal, while another found a piece of granite in a chocolate bar. A spider’s web in a bag of flour was also mentioned, along with more common items, including hair, insects and pieces of plastic.
Of the members who responded to the survey – which didn't relate to any specific supermarket, products or time period – 3% said they had purchased a food or drink item that had gone on to be recalled.
Meanwhile, just 2% of respondents reported being directly notified by the supermarket about a product recall, and less than half have spotted recall notices in-store. Around half of the members surveyed told us that they would like or expect to be contacted by the retailer in the event of a recall.
Members suggested ways supermarkets could contact them or alert them to a recall would be via social media, email or text if that information was available to retailers via loyalty card schemes. Some 79% of respondents said that they had seen a news story or social media post about a food recall.
None of those who responded said they had subsequently gone on to be ill as a result of consuming a recalled item.
Stay on top of the latest product recalls
Here, we highlight items being recalled by major brands and products that pose a risk to members of the public.
Tina Potter, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: 'If unsafe food has reached the market, the FSA will work with the food business and partners to ensure swift action is taken to ensure it’s removed – and we’ll publish an alert to inform consumers.'
She said consumers could report any food safety concerns to the local authority where the food business is based, so they could investigate further.
'I also encourage people to sign up to our food alerts, which notify consumers if unsafe products have reached the market and what action needs to be taken.'
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), the trade association for UK retailers, said it was unable to comment as Which? hadn't shared the survey prior to publication.
Other useful resources
(FSA) (CTSI) (gov.uk)Note that most major supermarkets will also have their own product recall pages on their websites.
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*Survey of 1,154 Which? members conducted in January 2024.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/shocking-finds-in-supermarket-food-abSev5g9bxtS