Migros: mold alarm for berries

On Monday, Nau.ch reader Anna K.* made a rather scary discovery at the Migros branch in Freiburg. When she wanted to reach the shelf containing fresh berries, there she found a completely moldy box of berries.

The berries were already eleven days past the date – but were still on sale.

“I almost felt sick, it’s absolutely disgusting,” Anna says. “Luckily I didn’t buy those berries.”

When asked, Migros explained that “berries in general are particularly vulnerable to temperature differences and bruising. Which may lead to mold infection.” Even one defective berry is enough for the fungus to spread to other fruits within a short period of time.

Migros doesn’t answer the question of how an eleven-day-old pot could be left on a shelf. However, he explains: “We are constantly working to prevent mold formation as much as possible.” This is done through suppliers’ requirements and control upon receipt of goods.

Consumer Protection receives such reports “from time to time,” explains Alex von Heitlingen when asked. However, these are mostly isolated cases, “mistakes that were immediately corrected.”

Quality control in retail works well, and in Switzerland you can assume that the food on offer is generally flawless, says von Heitlingen.

It recommends that consumers “always check carefully in the store whether the goods, especially fresh produce, are free of defects.” If food appears to be expired or even moldy, it must be handed over or reported to staff or customer service immediately.

The Orange Giant isn’t the only major distributor that repeatedly experiences mold problems. At Coop, customers recently found moldy toast or fajitas. With Dinner yogurt, which is already a month past its expiration date.

*The editor’s name is known