Panera had moldy fruit today....Grrrrrrr

[billysmommy]

Billy and I were out and about at lunch today and decided to run into Panera. We got a fruit cup for Billy and I got a sandwich. After he had eated half the fruit cup, I found a grape covered in white fuzzy mold. I brought it in and showed it the woman behind the counter who apologized and gave me another one. When I opened this one it had white fuzzy stuff on the 2 pieces of cantaloupe and honeydew melon on the top. I showed it to her and she said "oh, that should be fine. We put a sticker on the bottom on the day we make them and they are good for 3-4 days after the day on the sticker." I looked at the stickers on the 2 cups, the first one said Thursday and the second one said Tuesday. So I asked her to double-check "is the sticker the day it is made or the day it is good until?" She said it was the day it was made. Well today is Monday so that makes the fruit 5 days and 7 days old. She then went in back and got me a cup made yesterday - the sticker said Sunday and we had a little of that.

We got home and Billy went down for his nap. He woke up about 1 hour ago, absolutely screaming. He had a massive blow-out, down the legs, up the back and all over his teddy bear. We cleaned him up and over the past hour he has had 2 more. I think it is from the moldy fruit because the only other stuff he has had to eat today was 2 waffles at breakfast, some water and breastmilk. I emailed Panera about this and am planning on writing a letter. I know Billy will be fine but I don't want it to happen to someone else. It's a good policy to have to use the stickers but it has to be enforced.

[deborah_r]

Well, that sucks. I hope he is feeling better soon. I think it's great that you let them know about it.

[Marisa6826]

Oh no!!!

I've learned to be careful about buying non-sandwich items at sandwich places. Not enough turn over, KWIM?

I hope Billy is feeling better in short order. Did you call the local Panera or just email their corporate offices? I would definitely do both and make a big stink about it.

Do you have any Pedialyte you can offer Billy? Make sure he doesn't get dehydrated with all that diarrhea. Some mint tea in a sippee or bottle will help settle his belly too.

Poor little guy :(

-m

[bonbon98]

Hope Billy is feeling better! Definitely email Panera and complain!! Your email will be forwarded to the store manager of the location that you visited. The manager at my store called me within 2 days of me sending the email and she ended up sending $24 in food vouchers after I told her I found a dead fly in my salad on Mother's Day.

Bonny
Mom to Evan & Emma 5/7/02

[Melanie]

Oh my goodness! Poor little guy. I'm suspect of those stickers anyway. Very easy to change.

[lisams]

Yuck. Please contact your local health department and make a complaint. This is totally unacceptable and could make a lot more children sick.

So sorry your little one got sick.
Lisa

[billysmommy]

I did email and then later this afternoon I called the Panera we had gone too and spoke with the manager there at the time. He was less than helpful. All he said was that if the Tuesday sticker was on the cup she couldn't have given it to me because it would have been too old. Yeah - that's why the fruit was moldy. Hopefully the email will be forwarded to a more helpful person.

On the brigher side Billy is feeling better and ate all his Annie's mac and cheese at dinner followed by an oatmeal raisin cookie :)

[houseof3boys]

That is so gross and I am appalled that they didn't offer anything to you (not even sympathy about the whole horrible situation!).

I would totally complain and call the health department.

I bet you won't be eating at that Panera for a loooooooong time.

Glad Billy is back to normal. :)

[Rachels]

Yikes! I'd call the health dept too-- especially since the people at Panera blew you off. Sorry your little guy got sick!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[billysmommy]

We just got back from our vacation and had a couple of messages left on our machine by the DM of Panera for the Boston area. He was very apologetic and left his number for me to call him to discuss what happened. In his message, he said he was concerned about what happened and the reaction of the manager and employees at that store. I'll call him tomorrow and see what happens.

[Rachels]

Let us know!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/2/character39.gif

"We have a secret in our culture...it's not that birth is painful, it's that women are strong!!" - Laura Stavoe Harm

[Sarah1]

Wow! That is terrible, terrible! GOOD FOR YOU for following up with them on this. For such a big (and wealthy I'm sure) restaurant chain, this should NOT be happening!

I hope poor Billy is feeling better!!

Yes, keep us posted on further developments!!!!!! :)