Hungry Jacks - Mouldy Bun Consumed

WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 00:10
Last edited 21/10/2016 - 00:41 by 1 other user

Hey guys,

So this evening I purchased the new Halloween Whopper and half way through consuming it I noticed the taste was off only to look at the bottom and discover I had been comsuming a mouldy bun. I was pretty disgusted at this point and ended up vommiting the burger back up.

I called the Hungry Jacks immediately and informed them of the situation and the only solution they could provide was - "we can make you another whopper" to which I rejected and asked to speak to the manager, he then took my details and said the manager will call me back tomorrow.

How should I approach this situation?

Thanks in advance :)

Here's photos of the bun:
http://imgur.com/qTnGSYs
http://imgur.com/QqAgQ4j
http://imgur.com/mkUE3sz

Food & Grocery

Related Stores

Hungry Jack's
Hungry Jack's

Comments

    • WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 00:46
      +38

      Paying money to eat half a burger and vommit due to the negligence of a restaurant seems like reasonable grounds to complain, in my opinion.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 10:54
        +15

        On the bright side, you received some free penicillin!!

        • Conka on 21/10/2016 - 19:28
          +10

          But, the penicillin is cursed!

        • sparkanum on 21/10/2016 - 22:59
          +5

          @conka11: That said, they did get their free choice of topping.

        • JV159 on 21/10/2016 - 23:45
          +7

          @sparkanum: It comes with a free frogurt

        • Munki on 23/10/2016 - 18:54
          +3

          @JV159: The froghurt is also cursed.

        • chanleystan on 23/10/2016 - 21:27
          +3

          @Munki:
          that's bad

    • Gershom on 21/10/2016 - 09:28
      +38

      It is a big deal. Substandard hygiene in a food shop is a very big deal. Report it to the health department.

    • ronnknee on 21/10/2016 - 23:56

      Sounds like a great advice for you to take.

  • fossilfuel on 21/10/2016 - 01:04
    +40

    Honestly, I'd file a complaint. The HJs manager may or may not look into it. Local food enforcement will and they'll take this very seriously. I'd hate to see other people falling very ill as a result of consuming such a burger or in the rare case, someone actually dying.

    • Diji1 on 21/10/2016 - 01:17
      +13

      Well I'd call them first to explain that this is what you are going to do and then ask for a counter offer to make it worth your while not to.

      Because a mouldy bun is NOT a small deal, that's grounds for restaurants closing actually.

      They might make you a free whopper everyday for a year.

      • WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 01:47
        +5

        Thanks for the help guys I'll keep you both updated.

      • aoeueoa on 21/10/2016 - 10:08
        +47

        This is pretty selfish and is nothing less than blackmail.

        You should make the complaint to health authorities regardless so the place is actually cleaned up.

        It would really suck for us consumers if restaurants could pay their way out of cleaning up their act.

        • outlander on 21/10/2016 - 10:27
          +19

          I prefer the term extortion. The 'x' makes it sound cool

        • Diji1 on 21/10/2016 - 10:47

          blackmail.

          Asking someone if they want to offer something so you don't report them for an action taken that is not under your control isn't blackmail.

          Lawyers do it all the time.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 10:58
          +3

          @Diji1:

          Lawyers do it all the time.

          Non sequitur.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 10:45

        They might make you a free whopper everyday for a year.

        You might even get some free condiments on your burger!!

      • fossilfuel on 21/10/2016 - 13:01
        +5

        Calling them first to explain what you're gonna do is a good idea. However, this might cause them to quickly dispose of the rotting buns before the food authorities arrive or attempt to conceal other aspects of unhygienic practices.

        I disagree with the counter-offer. This should be reported regardless. It can pose a serious health risk to anyone consuming HJ burgers, let alone there may be other food safety violations.

        Good work OP, please keep us updated!

      • zealmax on 21/10/2016 - 20:38

        Letter of demand.

      • OzBrogains on 21/10/2016 - 23:17
        +1

        Lol are you listening to what you're typing? "What's in it for me if I don't report you guys?"

    • DaveJ on 23/10/2016 - 12:55

      I recommend this method. Complaining to the store or head office won't achieve anything in the long run. At best, they'll try to curry favour with you purely in the hopes that you don't complain to Food Standards or the relevant authority. You can also publicly shame them on social media or hungryjackssucks.com (my site, in full disclosure).

  • Wystri Warrick on 21/10/2016 - 01:43
    +17

    half way through consuming it I noticed the taste was off only to look at the bottom and discover I had been comsuming a mouldy bun.

    The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks!

    • WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 01:46
      +2

      Hahaha

    • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 10:48
      +10

      The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks!

      But the buns are worse.

      • Wystri Warrick on 21/10/2016 - 12:01
        +1

        Haha, just reminded me of

        Daphne Moon: Would you like me to butter your "buns" for you, Dr. Crane? :p

  • rambutann on 21/10/2016 - 02:17
    +8

    That is legit stuffed up. Only excuse I can ever imagine this actually happening would be: the use of emergency stock that wasn't stored correctly, a cheapskate manager that didn't want to throw away old buns or that they were not baked on the day they were taken to hjs (which I believe they generally are because its bread…).

    I would work out how far you could take that, I'd vomit that shit up too. Take a day off work. Really make the most of it because that shit is horrible.

    • echineon on 21/10/2016 - 14:55
      +1

      normally buns are kept in store in freezer for up to 3-4 days at my old store. Logistically speaking it's efficient, and health wise your bread should be fine in the freezer. It's better to freeze the bun than refrigerate it. However, given OP complain, the freezer maybe out of commission for a while to allow mould develop in there.

      source: used to not work for HJ but it's friendly neightbour. ;)

    • inherentchoice on 21/10/2016 - 14:55
      +3

      I suspect it could have happened because the Halloween Whopper has a cheese infused/flavoured bun.

      Therefore it should have a shorter expiry date, because it effectively has dairy in it, and it's probably not being refrigerated all the time?

      I had a jar of vegemite cheesybite and didn't realise it needed to be kept in the fridge after opening. Mould took root quickly. And I presume it's similar with this bun.

      Anyways I definitely won't be buying the Halloween Whopper.

  • bargainbeseecher on 21/10/2016 - 03:45

    I used to work in fast food and I honestly can't believe how negligent HJ's are being in regards to you consuming out of date food. We used to have to inspect all food deliveries for signs of mould, expiration dates, things like a bun missing bits out of it etc everyday for this exact reason. It's their duty of care to check and they failed to do so and should be 100% accountable. Yuck!

    • Tal_Shiar on 21/10/2016 - 03:58

      staff that aren't the manager can't really do much for OP other than offer a replacement…

      • bargainbeseecher on 21/10/2016 - 04:05

        They shouldn't have offered a replacement at all. Could have lead to further negligence as they're obviously not complying with food safety standards or it would've been picked up.

      • Tal_Shiar on 21/10/2016 - 04:29
        -2

        a lot of people would probably accept a replacement as long as it was assured it wouldn't be mouldy. Not everyone reacts like OP

        • RockyRaccoon on 21/10/2016 - 06:35
          +3

          Hey that doesnt sound right, at least the way you have written it.

          Sounds like you are thinking that they over reacted.

          Its a normal reaction for many people to gag/vomit when seeing something wrong with their food, which would have meant not eating it in the first place.

          And the staff were wrong to just offer a replacement, although probably not trained enough to understand, its not a minor issue, it a major issue. How many other burgers have they served which could have mouldy bread? A Manager should have been called.

          But they were probably juniors who would be unaware of the real issues that this error has created.

          For the OP they have handled it well, but broadcasting it on Ozbargain, without waiting for a managers response (or not), while understandable, maybe premature.

        • DarkOz on 21/10/2016 - 06:50
          +2

          @RockyRaccoon:

          I fully agree with you. Some people do vomit or have the feeling to vomit when they realised that they had eaten food that they normally refused to eat. I used to vomit when I had sashimi close to my mouth because I was taught not to consume raw fish when I was young.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 11:04
          +4

          @RockyRaccoon:

          For the OP they have handled it well, but broadcasting it on Ozbargain, without waiting for a managers response (or not), while understandable, maybe premature.

          OP wants to be prepared with the collective wisdom of thousands of Professional OzBargainers before confronting the manager.

        • Tal_Shiar on 21/10/2016 - 14:48
          -2

          @RockyRaccoon: personally I think OP did, but I didn't intend to phrase it to seem like i'm projecting blame. And while some will hurl, a lot of people will just want a normal burger. Go easy on the kids and do what OP is and dealing with the manager instead saying staff were in the wrong. A replacement and an apology is all they have to work with..

  • DarkOz on 21/10/2016 - 06:45
    +2

    That's legit. I had one of them last weekend and that orange coloured bun is very distinctive.

    OP, why didn't you take a photo of your vomit? They can claim that you made that part up?!

    • juventino on 21/10/2016 - 09:33
      -1

      because the vomit was just an added exaggeration :)

    • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 11:07
      +1

      OP, why didn't you take a photo of your vomit? They can claim that you made that part up?!

      Good thinking!

      Better take some photos of your poops for the next month too!!

      • l005e on 21/10/2016 - 11:27
        +10

        photos wont be sufficient

        you will need physical evidence

    • WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 11:19

      Hmm, didn't think of that

  • djones145 on 21/10/2016 - 06:46
    +4

    Never happens at maccas, their cheeseburgers last years with out mold! Lol

    • geoffellis on 22/10/2016 - 00:52
      -1

      Oh their buns can and do go moldy if they're not handled/rotated properly.

      There's a difference between raw food and cooked food. Their cooked food may last for years with out going moldy, but thats usually because they've dried out. Mold needs moisture to grow.

  • mskeggs on 21/10/2016 - 07:23
    +7

    Look on the bright side, you may have cured any lurking strep throat, scarlet fever, diphtheria, syphilis, gonorrhea, meningitis, tonsillitis, rheumatic fever, and many other diseases.

  • Savas on 21/10/2016 - 07:31
    +5

    The mould is a sign it is real food and not that radioactive stuff from Macca's

  • hell0 on 21/10/2016 - 07:57
    +12

    You purchased a halloween burger right… That is part of the promotion. It wasn't mouldy, it's how it was designed for halloween.

    • Savas on 21/10/2016 - 08:03
      +9

      Yeah, they took "scarily good" to the next level

  • robbyjones on 21/10/2016 - 08:55
    +11

    If you don't get appropriate action from the store your purchased, post the photo on their Facebook page, bet you get quick smart action then.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 11:17
      +1

      And failing that: Today Tonight and A Current Affair.

    • WilhelmBargo on 21/10/2016 - 11:26
      +1

      Funny you should mention that, they jave blocked photo posts from their Facebook.

  • Nutrino on 21/10/2016 - 09:22
    +5

    So what compensation were you looking for?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 21/10/2016 - 11:18
      +1

      As much as possible of course!!

    • AlienC on 21/10/2016 - 22:13
      +1

      One trillion dollars minimum. Oh and maybe a nice cold milkshake.

  • Sergeant Salami on 21/10/2016 - 09:31
    +29

    Ask for FREE HJs for a year, and I'm not talking about food lmao.

    • ankor on 22/10/2016 - 20:20
      +1

      What's the average age of a HJ worker though!?

  • Gershom on 21/10/2016 - 09:32

    Which HJ's was it? I want to avoid the place.

  • chumlee on 21/10/2016 - 09:56
    +1

    post in on their facebook page. you will get their attention

  • Clear on 21/10/2016 - 10:00
    +4

    I must have taken a wrong turn. I seem to be in OzLawyers.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2016 - 10:07
      +1

      Lol

    • outlander on 21/10/2016 - 10:17
      +1

      Objection!

      • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2016 - 13:31
        +1

        You have the right to be an attorney!

        • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2016 - 15:06
          +1

          Yes! :)

  • hell0 on 21/10/2016 - 10:10
    +3

    The problem with you vomiting is that you didn't do it until you saw the moldy bun. This behavior which is indicative of a psychological issue, which you can get treated with exposure therapy. I prescribe going back to this Hungry Jacks store, ordering another Halloween whopper and another and another until you are perfectly fine chomping down on moldy food. Eventually you will be cured.

    • geoffellis on 22/10/2016 - 00:55
      +2

      I'd reckon this is likely an evolutionary trait more than a 'psychological issue'. Vomiting when discovering you've consumed something not fit to eat would be a benefit.

  • ThadtheChad on 21/10/2016 - 10:34
    +2

    I'm a bit surprised that people are so blasé about consuming food with mould. It can cause severe food poisoning.

    @ OP, rather than milking HJ for reparations, you should report them to the local council/health dept for serving spoilt food.

    I know this is OzB (and some folks here would eat from a dumpster to save a few bucks), but one needs to ensure shonky food prep/storing should not go unpunished; especially when there is public safety at risk. There needs to be an investigation and the franchise needs to have their QA and hygiene put under scrutiny to ensure this doesn't happen again.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2016 - 10:38
      +1

      food with mould. It can cause severe food poisoning.

      Normal Hungry Jacks can cause severe food poisoning..

      • ThadtheChad on 21/10/2016 - 10:40

        Normal Hungry Jacks can cause severe food poisoning..

        Well…. there is that. :) :thumbs up:

  • Baebs on 21/10/2016 - 11:35
    +2

    So, how are you feeling now OP?

  • scrimshaw on 21/10/2016 - 11:40
    +7

    I'm not sure you guys know, elderly people and little kids with weaker immune systems are not as good as normal healthy adults when it comes to coping with food poisoning. Worse case scenario is death as evidenced by the infamous Tables case that happened nearly a decade ago.

    This case is fairly minor but you're looking at a slippery slope where hygiene and food contamination is not monitored, meaning that there could be other victims of food poisoning as well in the past or future that we don't know about. That joint is also probably being badly managed and someone needs to be accountable.

    Something like this needs to be reported, and training needs to be provided (the staff member is freaking clueless if he thinks offering a free burger is going to solve the problem!). HJ is a national franchise and should have the resources to train their staff in food hygiene.

    • ThadtheChad on 21/10/2016 - 12:05

      Whoever is going around negging posts which decry the poor hygiene/QA of HJ, needs to explain themselves. I am very curious to know what this individual's thought process is (or if there is any).

    • Yarkin on 21/10/2016 - 16:20
      +2

      Tests on the sauce carried out after 81-year-old Mr Hodgins' death by the Division of Analytical Laboratories found the sauce a presence of bacillus cereus at 9.8 million per 10 million parts.

      I'm outraged that they can call it an asparagus sauce when it's 98% bacillus cereus!
      The Herald Sun needs a serious injection of science, not to mention grammar.

      • scrimshaw on 22/10/2016 - 18:49

        Lol that must taste delicious. 98 percent bacteria… It probably even moves around on your plate by itself.

  • l005e on 21/10/2016 - 11:48
    +3

    Moldy…old…? Im going to get something to eat!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QETjmcGEpU

  • blackmanshade on 21/10/2016 - 12:19
    +5

    Does nobody remember the KFC court case where a young girl contracted salmonella and suffered permanent brain damage from a twister.
    I bet many people wouldnt eat from a loaf of bread if mould was spotted. If I was in your shoes i'd see how the store manager would want to resolve this first. If it ain't prompt (as in within 24hrs) then Id step it up by reporting it to NSWHealth (or whatever appropriate governing body.) Situations like this shan't be ignored.

    http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/sydney-family-wins-cour…

    • l005e on 21/10/2016 - 12:40

      I agree

    • BeauKilla on 21/10/2016 - 13:37
      -6

      Let's be fair and rational, the salmonella in this case probably came from uncooked chicken, not mouldy bread.

      Oh and I've eaten around mouldy parts of bread in the past, no harm has come from it yet.

      The op should just inform the manager of the problem, get his free replacement and move on with his life.

      • derek324 on 21/10/2016 - 14:20
        +1

        How if that for rational:
        "The U.S.D.A. recommends discarding bread and other baked goods with mold, because the microscopic fungi can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in some people. A few molds, under certain conditions, may produce hazardous substances called mycotoxins. The worst of these, aflatoxins, may cause liver cancer"
        http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/ask-well-is-it-safe…

        • BeauKilla on 21/10/2016 - 14:39
          -5

          Lots of "Mays" that. Sounds no worse than walking down the street in a busy city.
          And the salmonella claim?

        • ThadtheChad on 21/10/2016 - 16:10
          +2

          @BeauKilla:

          Just because you ate bits of moldy bread in the past and nothing bad happened to you, doesn't make that safe. The way you're putting it makes it sound like its a perfectly safe and acceptable thing to do.

  • ahly92 on 21/10/2016 - 12:31
    +2

    congratulations on your paycheck!

  • fruit on 21/10/2016 - 14:32
    +2

    Hungry Jacks is junk food

  • HADOUKEN on 21/10/2016 - 15:09
    +5

    Trick or treat?

  • Pyrock on 21/10/2016 - 16:07
    +4

    Having worked in a laboratory that actually tests this kind of food to see exactly what microbes are in it and to see if it is safe to consume or not, i hope that you didnt just chuck the rest of the burger out. Best thing to do is go through your local council/health authority who will send someone to the restaurant to check it out.

    Now if you still have the burger then you can give it too them directly (your council) - but you would want to be on top of this pretty soon (obviously the burger spoils after time).

    Whereas if you dont provide them with anything the council worker will only go to the restaurant to grab a sample - and since you already informed the restaurant about what happened, the manager would have been sure to remove any out of date stock and made sure everything is up to standards to keep their ass safe from any further scrutiny - so your burger is the only way to prove it.

    Once it has been proven i would guess that upper management would come down on that store pretty hard and (hopefully) they will no longer have any issues with this.

  • bargdebarg on 21/10/2016 - 17:56

    I guess you got a trick not a treat this Halloween…

    Freeking disgusting and no excuse even from a teenager who probably made it. Take them to the cleaners.

  • integrar on 21/10/2016 - 18:02

    the burgers are better at hungry jacks

    it is disgusting the person who made the burger should have seen the mould and throw it out

  • dm01 on 21/10/2016 - 18:07
    +1

    I once bought take-away Hungry Jacks for myself and my girlfriend, and a few bites into her burger she noticed there was a long black hair wrapped around a slice of tomato in the burger.

    When we arrived back at the store a few minutes later, I marched straight up to the front counter holding the open burger in the wrapping where anyone could see it (including those people queued up to order) and the manager was very quick in attending to me, refunding AND replacing the entire order, and giving me a bunch discount vouchers for future visits.

    A stray hair is one thing, mouldy buns (sounds like a terrible medical condition!) is something else. You should report it to the health department.

    • Praeto on 23/10/2016 - 16:51
      +1

      I'm honestly surprised so many people get a replacement.. If I found anything in my meal, the last thing I'd want is an identical meal from the same place. I got food poisoning from Red Rooster a couple of decades ago, and haven't been in one since.

      • dm01 on 23/10/2016 - 17:53

        I was only interested in refund - it was the ex-girlfriend who liked to eat…

  • bargainslut on 21/10/2016 - 19:01
    -1

    Spooky burger:)

  • nahi11 on 21/10/2016 - 19:28

    YEEEE I smell moneeyy $$$$$$, Sue em son.

  • CandyMan on 21/10/2016 - 20:01
    +1

    How did the staff member not notice!
    Post it on their facebook

  • gimli on 21/10/2016 - 20:28
    +1

    you shouldn't wait one month before you eat the burger

  • algy on 21/10/2016 - 21:39

    Much worse for you to vomit it up than to consume a little bit of mould, don't go down that path again. Vomiting is pretty rough on your body.

  • Cheeper on 21/10/2016 - 21:45
    +1

    Had a mouldy muffin once as well, and another muffin was that hard from being old stock it was like a rock.
    Their restaurants are as filthy as a public toilet.
    Not much care at HJ's.

  • VTS160 on 21/10/2016 - 22:19

    Its from last halloween to give ya true touch n feel

  • Mrcoom on 22/10/2016 - 00:10

    Tell them you want compensation to not report them, get them compensation then report them lol

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join