Woolworths shoppers outraged over ‘odd bunch’: ‘Why would you put that?'
- Replies 4
When we think of Woolworths, we often picture aisles of fresh produce and the promise of quality groceries.
However, a recent incident at the Bass Hill branch in Sydney's south-west has left customers questioning the supermarket's commitment to freshness and quality control.
A Woolworths shopper was met with a nauseating sight when they discovered bags of lemons covered in a thick layer of mould.
‘Woolworths, the fresh food people,' she said as she held up one of the bags.
The disturbing footage quickly spread to social media, sparking widespread disgust and concern among the Australian public.
The lemons, labelled as 'the odd bunch'—a category Woolworths uses for produce that may not be aesthetically perfect but is still edible—were being sold at a discounted price.
Yet, the presence of mould suggested that these lemons were far from fine to eat.
The question on everyone's lips: how long had these mouldy lemons been languishing on the shelf?
The video prompted a flurry of comments from appalled customers. 'Care to explain what's going on here Woolworths? Why would you put that on the shelves?' one person demanded.
'Is there something wrong with the way you store fruit and veg. I buy carrots from you and they have withered away within 2-3 days, but the bagged carrots we buy in bulk for our pub can sit there for a month and still look great.'
'That's what happens when you refrigerate citrus and then put it on display unrefrigerated,' another said.
'I saw this once with Woolworths blueberries, every container had mould in it,' a third added.
'Go to a local green grocer, it's cheaper and better quality and freshness,' another customer said.
'Why do the avocados always go off three days after buying them too,’ another chimed in.
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has noted that supermarkets often cold store fruit and vegetables to ensure year-round availability without requiring the date of picking.
Their survey of 1,000 shoppers found that satisfaction with produce freshness was significantly higher at growers' and farmers' markets at 92 per cent compared to supermarkets.
ALDI customers were 80 per cent satisfied, while Coles and Woolworths customers were 73 per cent satisfied.
'Freshly harvested apples can be kept for a least a week in a fruit bowl on the kitchen bench,' CHOICE said.
'But apples stored for ten or eleven months and bought in summer can lose flavour and texture after just a day, according to Stephen Morris of independent horticultural industry research company Postharvest Fresh.’
In response to the outcry, Woolworths stated that the store in question acted swiftly to remove the mouldy lemons once the issue was brought to their attention.
'Our team works hard to maintain our high standards in-store, and we're very disappointed to see this,' a spokesperson said.
'Once this was brought to our store team's attention, they were quick to remove any impacted products from shelves.'
You can watch the video below:
@clowndownunder / X (formerly Twitter)
Have you had similar experiences with supermarket produce? Do you have any tips for ensuring the freshness of your fruits and vegetables? Share your thoughts and advice in the comments below.
However, a recent incident at the Bass Hill branch in Sydney's south-west has left customers questioning the supermarket's commitment to freshness and quality control.
A Woolworths shopper was met with a nauseating sight when they discovered bags of lemons covered in a thick layer of mould.
‘Woolworths, the fresh food people,' she said as she held up one of the bags.
The disturbing footage quickly spread to social media, sparking widespread disgust and concern among the Australian public.
A Woolworths shopper saw this bag of lemons covered with mould. Credit: @clowndownunder / X (formerly Twitter)
The lemons, labelled as 'the odd bunch'—a category Woolworths uses for produce that may not be aesthetically perfect but is still edible—were being sold at a discounted price.
Yet, the presence of mould suggested that these lemons were far from fine to eat.
The question on everyone's lips: how long had these mouldy lemons been languishing on the shelf?
The video prompted a flurry of comments from appalled customers. 'Care to explain what's going on here Woolworths? Why would you put that on the shelves?' one person demanded.
'Is there something wrong with the way you store fruit and veg. I buy carrots from you and they have withered away within 2-3 days, but the bagged carrots we buy in bulk for our pub can sit there for a month and still look great.'
'That's what happens when you refrigerate citrus and then put it on display unrefrigerated,' another said.
'I saw this once with Woolworths blueberries, every container had mould in it,' a third added.
'Go to a local green grocer, it's cheaper and better quality and freshness,' another customer said.
'Why do the avocados always go off three days after buying them too,’ another chimed in.
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has noted that supermarkets often cold store fruit and vegetables to ensure year-round availability without requiring the date of picking.
Their survey of 1,000 shoppers found that satisfaction with produce freshness was significantly higher at growers' and farmers' markets at 92 per cent compared to supermarkets.
ALDI customers were 80 per cent satisfied, while Coles and Woolworths customers were 73 per cent satisfied.
'Freshly harvested apples can be kept for a least a week in a fruit bowl on the kitchen bench,' CHOICE said.
'But apples stored for ten or eleven months and bought in summer can lose flavour and texture after just a day, according to Stephen Morris of independent horticultural industry research company Postharvest Fresh.’
In response to the outcry, Woolworths stated that the store in question acted swiftly to remove the mouldy lemons once the issue was brought to their attention.
'Our team works hard to maintain our high standards in-store, and we're very disappointed to see this,' a spokesperson said.
'Once this was brought to our store team's attention, they were quick to remove any impacted products from shelves.'
You can watch the video below:
@clowndownunder / X (formerly Twitter)
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