Of beer and bandages
Josh loves beer.Perhaps this is why the incident last week was so disturbing for him. While enjoying some brew with family, he was down to the last couple of inches when he peered into the bottle and beheld this item swirling about: a large, moldy bandaid.
The company, which shall remain nameless for the time being, has collected the contaminated product and is 'investigating'. This post will be updated when we hear news.
Out of curiousity, how much would you have to have been paid to drink this?
posted by Josh and Heather @ 8:11 pm
16 comments
16 Comments:
oh noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! precious precious beer ruined!!!
*shudder*
Good to see you getting 'plastered'.
That is disgusting! I'm looking forward to the explanation of how it got there. Clare
Was the bandaid tested by the Health Unit?
If that Windsor ON guy could get $350,000 dollars from the bottled water company for a fly in his water, imaging what you would get for that thing in your beer.
That goes beyond gross (psychological damages) and easily crosses the line into serious health risk.
josh, hearing you tell the story at our party was gross enough...but then actually seeing the photo you said you took...it is absolutely disgusting! i also can not wait to hear how this beer fiasco ends! may you be able to regain the courage to drink beer again! this story could end very badly..."waterloo man refuses to ever drink beer again"...i hope i never read that in the papers!
This comment has been removed by the author.
(As I, temporarily, posted before):
Oh my word - that is both disgusting and disturbing.
-Julee
Maybe you should have kept it and designed a new beer around the flavour ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7340005.stm
Clare
That is really disgusting! I will tell Daniel to be sure to always check his bottle first!
Dear Customer Service of the Brick Brewery Company,
I have been a regular customer of the Brick Brewery since we moved to Kitchener in May, 2007. Yesterday evening at approximately 10:30 PM, I was drinking a Laker Strong while talking with a couple of family members (wife, mother). After consuming most of the drink, I was shocked to discover a large band-aid in the remaining beer at the bottom of the bottle. As the attached photographs depict, the bandage has begun to decompose and is covered with microbial growth.
The bottle and band-aid are currently stored in my refrigerator and I have consulted with the Health Advisory Service. They faxed the report to my doctor and have advised me to monitor my symptoms beyond the distress and nausea I have already been experiencing.
As I consider subsequent action, including legal consultation, I thought it wise to contact you for the Brick's initial response to this situation, and in case this product contamination represents an immediate health risk to additional customers of the Brick Brewery.
The product was purchased from the LCBO on King Street in Waterloo on
Friday, March 28.
Given the seriousness of this situation, please contact me within 48 hours, either by email or phone.
Sincerely,
Josh.
Dear Mr. Neufeld
Further to our conversation of March 31st, we have received the opened bottle you experienced a problem with.
Due to the unusual nature of the incident we have contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for advice on how to proceed. The CFIA has indicated that it is their policy not to perform any further testing on previously opened product as the results would be inconclusive.
As per our conversation, where our process was outlined, including the
fact the product is pasteurized and that pathogens cannot grow in beer,
we have determined that while this may be a quality issue, there is not a food safety issue.
This does in no way diminish the traumatic impact this incident would have on any consumer and we profoundly apologize for the discomfort and anxiety this would have caused. I can assure you that we take quality very seriously at Brick incorporating industry equipment and practices to ensure our products reach the consumer in top condition.
Recognizing that quality is a continuous improvement exercise we have contacted the service representative for the electronic bottle inspection equipment we utilized, to review what potential circumstances could cause this situation and what we can do to avoid a re-occurrence of the situation you have experienced.
It is our hope that we can convince you that this was a very isolated
incident and that we have taken the issue seriously and will diligently
work to make continued progress on bottle inspection and that ultimately we can keep you as a customer.
Regards,
Bill
Dear Bill Henry,
Being new to the KW area as of May 2007, I have purchased beer almost exclusively at the Brick Brewery. I have spoken highly of your brewery and have even asked staff members if it would be possible to arrange a class visit to the Brewery as part of the microbiology course I will be teaching in the Spring of 2009.
However, all this has changed. Since discovering the decomposing bandaid in my beer after consuming most of its contents, I am sickened by the thought of your products, almost consider it a duty to warn others that your quality control is unacceptable, and do not intend to further consider the Brick as a field-trip destination for my class.
Although I appreciate that you followed up with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and that The Brick will be looking into the electronic bottle inspection equipment, this does very little to satisfy me that your products are not a threat to my physical and emotional well being. From a lifetime of consuming commercial products, this is the very first time I have even heard of such a disturbing case of food contamination. While withholding your company's name from the LCBO, I asked a floor manager if discovering foreign objects such as bandages in beer has been known to occur. She reacted with shock at my story and indicated that this should not (and does not) occur. I do not feel as though this situation is resolved or that The Brick has made any effort to repair the damage caused. I have spoken with the Better Business Bureau and they are willing to seek an appropriate resolution on my behalf. Before lodging a written complaint and working through them as arbiters, I thought it wise to attempt to resolve this situation with you directly first.
Toward a resolution, given that you "hope that we can convince you that this was a very isolated incident" and that you indicated a desire to keep me as a lifelong customer, I have decided to take you up on the offer of being convinced at the isolated nature of the incident. I suggest the following resolution: funded by the Brick, allow me to sample your product range for a period of two years at my current consumption rate of six beers biweekly. This resolution would serve several purposes. Assuming that no further contamination is discovered, it would help me overcome my anxiety at the thought of your product, convince me that the contamination was an isolated incident, and allow me to continue promoting your company as a respectable brewery in discussions with friends, family, students and colleagues.
I look forward to hearing from you and am hopeful that this terrible situation may be resolved as proposed without further recourse to third party mediation.
Sincerely,
Josh.
Oh my goodness! That is AWFUL!!!! I certainly would never touch their product again. The second they tried to suggest there was no harm done because it was pasteurized, I would have absolutely exploded! Due to the nature of the bandaid (and the fact it was there in the first place), the claim of no harm is nul and void! Ick!
Good for you for taking the next step and contacting the BBB!
Mr Neufeld,
We appreciate the opportunity to try and satisfy you that Brick products are presented to our customers in excellent condition. The reality of using returnable, refillable containers from an industry bottle float do make for rather unique product quality challenges compared to other non returnable bottle suppliers but the environmentally friendly advantages of returnable refillable bottles are a hallmark of the Canadian beer industry. At Brick we have invested in bottlewashing and electronic inspection equipment and follow industry good manufacturing practices in order to deliver quality products to our customers. Obviously based on the sample you provided to us, we did not meet that high standard in this particular case. We take your criticism seriously and will continue to work to make improvements in our quality programs.
We would very much like to maintain you as a customer are we are prepared to accept your offer for beer. My understanding of your request is to have free access to Brick beer in the amount of 6 bottles every 2 weeks for 2 years. (ie 6 bottles x 26 weeks x 2 or 312 bottles). From a logistical perspective we have 2 choices in trying to deliver this resolution :
1) provide you with vouchers redeemable at the Beer Store (any store in Ontario that stocks our brands)
2) if you prefer to purchase your beer at the Brick retail store, we would propose payment up front in an amount equal to 312 bottles of laker strong
Please note it is our policy to get a release from any customer for any complaint resolution that resulted in a cash payment
It is my hope that we are able to convince you to remain a customer of Brick. Please advise how you wish to proceed and I will advise the Customer Service Dept accordingly
Dear Brick Brewery,
Thank you for your email and for demonstrating this commitment to customer service. Provided that I may sample from the full range of Brick beers in the agreed amount (312 bottles), vouchers for the Beer Store would be convenient.
If no further contamination issues are encountered, I anticipate that this resolution will restore my faith in your brewery and in your slogan, "We listen. We brew".
Please let me know if there is anything further you require of me to issue the vouchers. My address is below.
Sincerely,
Josh.
I laughed, I cried. Why can't more blogs be like this? Josh, you are hilarious. You could have had money, women, fame. Well, money and fame anyway. You got more women than you can handle already. But, like the true Northener you are you saw the opportunity for free beer- and didn't look back. I respect that. I am going to start praying for a bandage in MY beer. peace, seth
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