Story:
How utterly disgusting! Bangalore woman finds worms crawling in her 3-year-old son’s favorite Kelloggs Chocos.
Other Versions
Worms Found in Kellogg’s Chocos.
Fact Check:
The disturbing message shared on social networking sites and consumer forums states that a Bangalore woman found worms crawling inside Kellogg’s Chocos that her three year old son was about to eat. Let us analyze whether it is a fact or hoax.
Story as Reported
This story of worms found in Kellogg’s Chocos became popular from an Aug. 1, 2014 article published in a blog of Times of India that supposedly detailed the incident. According to the article, Archana Sanjay from Bangalore found a worm crawling inside Kellogg’s Chocos pod that her three year old son Aarav was about to eat. The product was reportedly packed on March 9, 2014 and was to be consumed within 9 months. Further, it is said that the woman was shocked to find the creepy crawly insect in each and every pod of the product, and when she went to the market to check another packet, the same story repeated it seems. The article comes with few pictures showing worms in the Chocos product and also a short video showing same. It is reported that Archana will be approaching the consumer forum with her complain and all evidence.
Consumer Complaint
The said story was posted in a consumer’s forum website ConsumerComplaints.in on 1 Aug. 2014, where Archana Sanjay reports the same, albeit with some difference. Accordingly, the woman seems to have purchased the stock of Kellogg’s Chocos (Moon & stars) in July 2014. Upon finding a maggot that dislodged from the chocos when mixed with milk that her child was to eat, she broke open every piece to find a maggot in every 2nd or third star mould. Later, when she purchases another box of chocos from the same supermarket, she supposedly saw maggots in that fresh pack too. Note that if this version of story is a fact, then the details reported in the blog of Times of India would be incorrect.
Furthermore, as per the consumer complaint, when the woman complained the incident to the Kellogg’s hot line number, the company’s area manager was willing to replace the 2 packs purchased. Not satisfied with this response, the woman, it seems, wants to take this matter to court and make such reputed companies responsible towards their consumers.
Exaggerated?
As mentioned above, if the incident detailed in consumer forum is right, the article in Times of India blog stands exaggerated to a certain extent – that worms were found in every pod of the product, also in that of a new product bought from the same place.
As stated in the disclaimer at the end of the article in Times of India blog, it is to be noted that the views expressed in the article are author’s own. As mentioned in his profile, the author of the article Rajesh Kalra is the Chief Editor of Times Internet and business head for the non-English languages properties. Apart from the incident in question, it should also be noted that the theme of the article “It’s right to serve worm-infested food to Indians. Right, Kelloggs?” is to highlight big companies’ negligence in India.
Kellogg’s Response
After the story became popular, Kellogg’s issued the following statement on their Facebook page on the same day:
Kellogg received a consumer complaint in one of its products — Chocos Moons and Stars. We regard every consumer query or complaint with utmost importance. Kellogg has been in touch with the consumer and we are yet to receive the complaint sample. We look forward to receiving the sample at the earliest. In the interim, we have already checked the samples of the same batch both at the factory and market and found them in line with our quality standards, and hence this appears to be an isolated instance. As a responsible organization, we effectively address the root cause of all consumer complaints, irrespective of whether it originates in the supply chain or in homes.
So from the available information, the authenticity of the incident cannot be determined for now.
Past Incidents
In past, there were few similar complaints of infestation with worms, webs and moths in Kellogg’s brand of products — not just in India, even in other developed countries. In 2010, a family in Illinois (USA) said they found 72 creepy crawlies in a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, 25 of which were alive. Responding to it, back then, Kellogg’s said it has strict controls for every step of the manufacturing process, from the delivery ingredients to distribution, but in spite of that, “products are sometimes exposed to insects.”
Whether the incident in question is true or not, these many concerns with processed and stored food certainly suggest that natural and fresh food is best anytime!
Hoax or Fact:
Undetermined.
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