Animal teeth in jam, worms in nuggets among food complaints

Animal teeth in jam, beetles in a burger bun and worms in a chicken nugget were among the foreign objects Irish consumers complained about finding in their food last year.

Other cases reported to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) included a metal screw in a cake; a snail among pick 'n' mix sweets; and a sharp piece of glass in a packet of frozen peas.

In its annual review, the authority said complaints of food contamination, made via its phoneline or through claim forms, were “frequent” and that all of them were passed on to the relevant local authority and were investigated by enforcement officers.

The number of complaints to the authority last year, at 2,739, was in line with the 2,738 reports received in 2014.

The highest number of complaints were about unfit food (1,052 - down 12 per cent), hygiene standards (643 - up 14 per cent) and suspected food poisoning (510 - down 4 per cent).

There was 192 complaints about incorrect information on food labelling (up 10 per cent) and 42 complaints on non-display of allergen information.

Clodagh Crehan, the FSAI’s information executive, said a rise in complaints about hygiene standards was down to consumers having a greater awareness about their rights.

Other complaints regarding unfit food referred to undercooked food being served in food premises; out-of-date food being sold in retail outlets; mouldy bread being used to make sandwiches and strange tastes coming from food.

Ms Crehan said the matters were all thoroughly investigated. She said the discovery of an animal tooth in jam was “a bit odd”.

“All of these (complaints) have to be worked back to find out how these things happened,” she said. “If they do go back all the steps and they realise there is an issue in a particular premises, they may have to serve a prohibition order or close the premises down straight away.”