Unnerving photo reveals gross secret in Coles—questions arise about responsibility

When we head to our local supermarket, we expect a certain level of cleanliness and order, especially regarding the food we buy to nourish ourselves and our families.

However, a recent incident at a Coles supermarket has left customers and the public in a heated debate over a rather unsavoury discovery.


A photograph on social media depicted a distressing scene: broken eggs left abandoned on a shelf in the fridge section of a Coles store in Melbourne.

The image, which showed the messy aftermath of what one can only assume was an accidental breakage, quickly became a topic of contention.

The customer who snapped the photo claimed that staff ignored the broken eggs and the resulting foul smell for at least 30 minutes.


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Coles criticised after shopper finds unattended broken eggs on a shelf; staff reportedly ignored for 30 minutes. Credit: Facebook


This claim sparked outrage among some shoppers, who felt the supermarket's employees should have acted more swiftly to clean up the mess.

‘There was a broken egg somewhere on the shelf, the smell was horrible, and not one person cleaned it up,’ one said.

‘I stopped buying eggs there. I couldn't stand the stink in the aisle.’

‘I have seen the same in our Coles store too in the middle of the week, (I) no longer shop there... No pride, no respect these days,’ another commented.


On the other hand, a former supermarket manager weighed in, deeming the state of the shelf 'unacceptable' and suggesting that the space could have been filled with another product to boost sales.

‘Fill the empty space with a product that will make an extra (revenue) ate the register,’ they stated.

'Customers pay wages with their purchases, plus the sale of eggs could have compensated for the 10 minutes required cleaning.’

Yet, not everyone was quick to point the finger at Coles staff. Other users criticised the original poster for not taking action themselves, questioning why they spent half an hour observing the situation instead of notifying a staff member.

‘You have time to stare at eggs for 30mins but not notify any staff,’ a social media user wrote.

‘They have things to do, and looking at eggs, I bet, isn't on their mind.’


In response to the uproar, a Coles spokesperson stated that the company 'takes food safety extremely seriously and our teams work hard and pride themselves on keeping a clean and hygienic environment in all our stores.'

‘Our shelves are thoroughly cleaned regularly, and in relation to the photo you have provided, this appears to be an isolated situation.’ the spokesperson said.

This messy situation comes when supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths are already grappling with egg supply issues due to avian flu outbreaks, leading to rationing of egg purchases.

Even McDonald's has felt the impact, adjusting its breakfast menu timings to conserve egg usage.

Australian Eggs' boss Rowan McMonnies offered hope, assuring consumers that eggs would still be available for those willing to shop around, even if some stores faced temporary shortages.

‘If you want eggs, you will get them,’ he said.


In related news, Coles supermarkets have implemented a temporary limit of two cartons per customer on egg purchases due to a supply shortage.

This shortage is caused by reduced egg production following chicken culls necessitated by bird flu outbreaks. For more information, click here.
Key Takeaways
  • Coles supermarket has been criticised after a shopper found broken eggs left unattended on a shelf, with staff reportedly ignoring the issue for 30 minutes.
  • The image of the shabby shelf shared on social media sparked a debate over whether the fault lies with the staff for not cleaning up or the customers who made the mess.
  • A former supermarket manager labelled the state of the shelf as 'unacceptable' and suggested better use of space to improve sales.
  • A Coles spokesperson assured they take food hygiene seriously, suggesting the incident was isolated amidst a broader context of egg supply limitations due to avian flu outbreaks.
Have you ever encountered a similar situation in your local supermarket? How did you respond, and how was the staff handling it? Share your experiences in the comments below.
 
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🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣of coursethere was a "fowl" smell they do after all come from chooks🤣🤣and of course they took a photo put it up on social media..but didn't think to let staff know...some people really are missing their smarts!!!
 
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣of coursethere was a "fowl" smell they do after all come from chooks🤣🤣and of course they took a photo put it up on social media..but didn't think to let staff know...some people really are missing their smarts!!!
Go on, laugh. Criticise the OP and laugh. Keep on laughing!

You do not know whether the OP told staff or not. It was only the hearsay from other commentators that made such a claim - but without proof!

"In response to the uproar, a Coles spokesperson stated that the company 'takes food safety extremely seriously and our teams work hard and pride themselves on keeping a clean and hygienic environment in all our stores."

‘Our shelves are thoroughly cleaned regularly, and in relation to the photo you have provided, this appears to be an isolated situation.’ the spokesperson said."


Since Coles claims to take food safety so seriously and their teams regularly and thoroughly clean their shelves, we must assume that staff at that store were not doing their jobs and I think this is the issue you ought to be criticising rather than poking fun in an inane way.
 
What an idiotic statement.

Some eggs will break in transportation. I NEVER pay for broken eggs because I lift each egg out and inspect it properly. It is up to the staff to patrol the egg station regularly and keep the area clean.

Simples!
I wiggle the eggs in the box to make sure none are broken, hence sticking to cardboard, and a man walked by and said “there’s a dozen in there” he thought I was counting.!
 
I wiggle the eggs in the box to make sure none are broken, hence sticking to cardboard, and a man walked by and said “there’s a dozen in there” he thought I was counting.!
Let them laugh. Coles' toilets are not always open to deal with those bladder-leaky moments of this kind of assumption. By their wet patches shall ye know them.
 
My first thought was why a staff member wasn't notified of the mess. There is always staff at the Front End for returns & hopefully a Supervisor too.

Would the complainant also walk around something spilt on the floor which could cause someone to fall & injure themselves without telling a staff member? Park your trolley over the spill & find a staff member.

Some people would argue that with staff cutting a staff member is not easy to find in the aisles to which l say, refer to my opening statement.
 
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What an idiotic statement.

Some eggs will break in transportation. I NEVER pay for broken eggs because I lift each egg out and inspect it properly. It is up to the staff to patrol the egg station regularly and keep the area clean.

Simples!
So, it's you who loosens the lid and lets all the contents fall out when others pick it up.
The staff don't toss eggs out of the box all over the fridge, that is caused by customers. 🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚
 
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So, it's you who loosens the lid and lets all the contents fall out when others pick it up.
The staff don't toss eggs out of the box all over the fridge, that is caused by customers. 🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚
You have an agenda. Try ordering a brain from somewhere to process your thoughts in a calm, rational and lucid manner.
 
On the subject of eggs, the price of the same pack of eggs that I buy from Coles jumped up from $5 to $6.20 from one shop to the next a week later. Price gouging due to ? Shortage I’d say. Most weeks at my local Coles or Woolies there are still some eggs available.
 
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Go on, laugh. Criticise the OP and laugh. Keep on laughing!

You do not know whether the OP told staff or not. It was only the hearsay from other commentators that made such a claim - but without proof!

"In response to the uproar, a Coles spokesperson stated that the company 'takes food safety extremely seriously and our teams work hard and pride themselves on keeping a clean and hygienic environment in all our stores."

‘Our shelves are thoroughly cleaned regularly, and in relation to the photo you have provided, this appears to be an isolated situation.’ the spokesperson said."


Since Coles claims to take food safety so seriously and their teams regularly and thoroughly clean their shelves, we must assume that staff at that store were not doing their jobs and I think this is the issue you ought to be criticising rather than poking fun in an inane way.
Wow what a lot of hot air and BS you dribble, instead of making yourself look like a moron try taking a chill pill and maybe a laxette??🤣🤣
 
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Wow what a lot of hot air and BS you dribble, instead of making yourself look like a moron try taking a chill and maybe a laxette??🤣🤣
Oh, I am sooooooooooo hurt by your nasty criticisms of me.

I'm not any more because I just took a dump.
 

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