Forum Topic

Blimey! There's a mouse in my Polish soup!

I'm not joking either!It is a beetroot soup sold in one litre cartons. You don't get to see what's in the carton as you are just required to pull up the plastic fastener.The one litre carton has provided me with three portions of the soup.The first portion was poured into my soup kettle and after heating up... it tasted fineThe second portion the next day tasted fine too. "Clear beetroot soup ... that must be good for me!The third portion looked cloudy and left a strange residue on the inside of the soup kettle. I thought it might have been caused by a whole beetroot disintigrating along the line. Surprising that that final portion didn't taste too bad either.The empty carton is not suitable for regular recycling as it is manufactured with a silver lining.So I usual undo the gussett foldson the base and at the topand scissor the carton to smaller pieces for burning.Something was amiss ...as I unfolded the carton my eyes popped out as I saw some spongy foreign object and underneath ...a baby mouse!!I did survive that third portion and I currently feel very well....TO BE CONTINUED!

Jim Lawes ● 16d46 Comments

I suspect that the packaging that your soup came in is what is now termed a "pouch" for recycling purposes.If you look it up on the newly updated national website www.recyclenow.com and enter your postal address you will be able to find out if and where you can now recycle it.  AFAIK they are not acceptable in our local kerbside recycling but are in some supermarket recycling schemes.  However, what happens after it is collected by the supermarkets and whether that is any better than the EfW that most of our residual waste goes to is something else!Lentils or beans added to your vegetable soup can be an interesting and non-meat protein!  It is easy to cook and then freeze in small portions to add.  According to old cook books in the past our meals used to include a lot more pulses - and they are comfortably satisfying in cold weather.Glad you are feeling OK after your adventures!

Philippa Bond ● 10d

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to receive a phone call from West Middlesex Hospital asking if I was feeling ok.I jokingly could have replied "squeak squeak" and they might have despatched an ambulance.But I didn't ... but I am waiting for some action before the remains of the mouse crumbles into dust!

Jim Lawes ● 12d

This mouse scenario reminded me of one of the most famous tort cases involving a snail and ginger beer (Donoghue v Stevenson).I guess it’s always preferable to pour your drink before you consume.

Tony Antares ● 12d

Well I'm very grateful for the warning and emptying carton contents into a clear container from now on, thank you Jim.

Janice Evans ● 13d

Seems to be a great deal of sympathy for the mouse and the retailer here and also some vague suggestion that there is some perjorative reason for this thread.I am just glad you didn't become ill,Jim.It was good to see you at the service this morning.

Keith Iddon ● 13d

Ok Russell.  You get nasty with me for no reason and from nowhere. How about you try that face to face.  You know the Copper Cow.  Tell me when and i'll be there.

Bill Danton ● 13d

Allowing it to get into the production line at the Polish factory ... packing it ...and despatching it to the UK!I understand readers concerns about this thread but I was truly concerned about this kitchen event.I live on my own and, in addition to being alarmed at the find, I sought help.Life is serious enough when one is over 85 years old ... such events cause stress and the need to seek help.Thanks to Janice I went for a pretty thorough check up at West Middx.Regarding the retailer, who I agree is not at fault, I needed to supply their name to the Authorities for the purpose of their starting an investigation.I mentioned POSK because I dine there occasionally ... indeed have their beetroot soup for starters. Would they engage with me about my story? I would like to warn them of my concern.Same too with the Ealing Polish community.For now Hammersmith Borough Council are on the case.The dead mouse and debris ...the soup pack too ...are in my possession. I need to warn others.

Jim Lawes ● 13d

Thanks ‘Bill’ and ditto.

Russell Pearson ● 13d

Thanks Russell.  You just showed me all I suspected and all I needed to know.Yes Robert. I feel for the retailer too. And the shadow cast on POSK. Apart from the poor mouse who deserves a decent funeral.  Lots of disturbing echoes. If it's a cause celebre, is it that necessary?

Bill Danton ● 13d

I have similar unease, Bill. It started with the speculation about soup in the POLK centre. I also feel for the poor bloody retailer, who in all this hoo-ha is almost as much an innocent victim as Jim.

Robert Fish ● 13d

>There's something I really don't like about this thread and I'm not sure what it is.Dare I guess someone had the temerity to say something that you disagreed with, and you choked on your 🧦 soup?

Russell Pearson ● 13d

пожалуйста

Charlotte Kasner ● 13d

There's something I really don't like about this thread and I'm not sure what it is.

Bill Danton ● 13d

The matter is now to be investigated by the Hammersmith Environmental Department's Food and Safety team.In the meantime I suggest you empty those packs into a clear jugbefore you start consuming the contents. You never know what may be lurking at the bottom of your pack!

Jim Lawes ● 13d

Yes there is a manufacturing date and time of that day Amanda ... but no batch number.The shop assistant at Dill and Co,163 King Street, W6 said she would email the Polish Company and hopefully she will receive some sort of reply in a couple of days time ...ie this Monday.Although she took a photo of the broken down pack and the dreadful contents ...her image might not have clearly shown the production date.Of course I've kept everything to enable me to give a full presentation and explaination to those authorities or lawyers I approach.I hope that the Hammersmith Food and Safety Team contact me on Monday too.I'm planning to notified the UK Food Standard Agency.This pack of JEMY "Barszcz Czerwony"Soup was close to it's "best before"date ...but that's no excuse for having a dead mouse and other unsightlydebris at the bottom of the pack.I wonder if the beetroot soup dish is on the menu at local POSK Cultural Centre ?

Jim Lawes ● 14d

Doesn't the Company selling the product have to take on some responsibility.

Janice Evans ● 14d

Sounds like an unpleasant experience, sympathy for that, though I doubt you'll get very far with the Polish food authorities.

Davey Harris ● 14d

Yes think you are correct about insects, mice however do carry diseasesmy neighbour some years back had an illness caught from mice cannotremember which illness it was, but she was a hoarder had boxes everywhere couldn't even get to her bed she slept in an armchair and was overrun with mice, 14 were taken just from the airing cupboard eventually she went into care for awhile so the home could be cleared.

Janice Evans ● 14d

Do you still have the packaging? You'll need the batch number and manufacturing date, if it's on there.  I'd suggest maybe the mouse was cooked along with the soup, so not much to worry about?  Hard to keep on top of rodent control in a busy food production and packaging plant. Even in UK, a certain amount of insect parts per chocolate bar are seen as 'acceptible' I've heard, though not lookded into it myself.

Amanda Odonnell ● 14d

That's good you got the 'all clear' Jim,

Janice Evans ● 14d

Edit the last post:"emptying"  not "entering"

Jim Lawes ● 15d

So my advice, at this half-way stage, is not to trust these packsStart by entering all the contents of a pack into a Jug of sorts,then break open the pack to check that it is clean and devoid of foreign objects. DON'T CONSUME THE CONTENTS UNTIL YOU'VE EMPTIED THE PACK AND CHECKED IT'S CLEANLINESS!

Jim Lawes ● 15d

Thank you for those links Charlotte.I contacted Hammersmith'sEnvironmental Dept (Food & Safety Team)on 0208 753 1081and I was able to explain the matter in full to a very helpful member of their Staff. She would get someone to phone me to arrange an appointment. No one phoned back and so that avenue of action will be held up ...over the weekend.As Janice suggested, I went to the Blood Test unit at West Middx Hospital and was referred to the Emergency Dept waiting lounge.(what a busy place!). After 4 hours I was given the "all clear" by a delightful Belarusian young lady Doctor. She spoke Russian and I was able say "Spasiba".I've posted a warning too on the Ealing Forum in view of the large Polish Community there.My next move is perhaps getting legal advice and I understand the best thing to make contact with theCitizen's Advice Bureau who will direct me to the appropriate legal team.The Polish Factory will still bemaking and packing this beetroot soup ... unaware of the hazards there.

Jim Lawes ● 15d

I suggest that you contact Environmental Health:https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/environment/environmental-healthand Trading Standards:https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/business/trading-standards

Charlotte Kasner ● 15d

https://www.tetrapak.com/en-gb/sustainability/focus-areas/circularity-and-recycling/choose-cartons

Philippa Bond ● 15d

Yuk Jim, I wouldn't be too keen on that sort of extra protein.  It put me off my breakfast this morning and left me checking there was nothing hiding in my out of the usual breakfast croissant.I have though been 'recycling' my 'food and drinks cartons' for years as they have been listed to go in the recycling collection for years.  The biggest manufacturer of these is Tetra Laval and their best known packaging is the 'Tetra Pak' which is what the packaging tends to be called whoever manufactures it.  They have made big efforts to both reduce the waste any waste in manufacturing them and to recycle them and I believe there is still a recycling plant for them in Halifax. This is of course a long way to send them from west London. I also believe that there are paper and card manufacturers who will take a percentage of these mixed material cartons in their collections. They can also be sent to EFW (energy from waste) facilities which is what happens to a lot of residual waste instead of landfilling it. This was recently revealed to be a worse solution for the environment than burning coal but surely must be better than burning them yourself!Very little at all is now landfilled which has had gate fees deliberately escalating year on year in order to discourage this method of disposal. Sometimes you can find that the collections for recycling are run by ACE - the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment who represent the food and drinks carton manufacturers.  Food and Drinks Cartons are due to be included in the new Simpler Recycling system in 2026 which should mean that all Councils will be collecting them.These long life cartons are an important way of keeping food  for store cupboard items for much of the population.  They are a good way to reduce waste so long as you remember that they have a long Best Before Date before opening and then different storage and date they should be used by once opened.In Spain they have now started to use recycled food and drinks carton material in new cartons.https://www.fruit-processing.com/2024/11/tetra-pak-and-lactalis-shape-the-future-of-packaging-with-recycled-material-linked-to-used-beverage-cartons/?ad=dirN&prod=DS&cmpgn=may23&annot=false&sameTabLaunch=false&o=APN12174&installSource=nag&ctype=web&browser=Chrome&darkMode=false&lang=en&ueid=b7c67f84-62ce-4cdb-97d6-35fba5c1c14e&doi=2023-07-11

Philippa Bond ● 15d

That's good advice Janice. Thanks.I'm off to West Middx Hospital for a blood test now.

Jim Lawes ● 15d

Jemy have a website in English with a phone number (in Poland)https://jemyjemy.com/en/kontakt.php

David Turner ● 15d

Good one, Marlene :-)

Richard Greenhough ● 15d

😊, .......Jim, seriously maybe you should have a blood test done just to make sure you are o.k.

Janice Evans ● 15d

Was it Campbell's Soup?

Marlene Plimley ● 15d

Or possibly Yay.

Janice Evans ● 15d

Neigh

Janice Evans ● 15d

"You are burning rubbish in your garden every two weeks! Disgusting."Pearl clutching, Humpty ?

Richard Greenhough ● 15d

I wouldn't make too much fuss about it, Jim. It's not as if the producer deliberately placed it there as an extra delicacy for you to sample.I once unknowingly ate a few slices of kebabbed donkey cock when lunching on  the island of Hydra about 20 years ago, and it didn't make any difference to  me (though some others think differently).

Roger Talbot ● 15d

Well he can cremate the mouse when they have finished with it.

Janice Evans ● 15d

A lot of fruit drinks are of course milk are in cartons now, would hope that was a one off Jim..

Janice Evans ● 15d

What an exciting life you lead, Jim. I'm envious.

Susan Kelly ● 15d

Jim, I’ve seen your exchanges with Guy Lambert over the years where you have shown a totally flawed understanding of what is and isn’t suitable for recycling. You are burning rubbish in your garden every two weeks! Disgusting.

Paul Campbell ● 15d

Another over-reaction and a semi insult from that non-PC/PC  chap.The amount burnt in this totally safe clay oven is 1/2 a small shopping bag a fortnight.The paper and card nature of the waste is not suitable for recycling.Help sought ... not PC type responses.1) where is the current entrance to Hammersmith Town Hall.2) the Polish Radio/TV services used to be located on the Odeon Parade in Isleworth. Where are they now.?3) Is there a walk-in Citizens Advice Bureau in the area?4) Would POSK W6 help?etc etc

Jim Lawes ● 16d

Good on you Jim and I hope you have suffered no ill effects from your strange and disgusting experience.Don't worry it is perfectly legal to have an overseen fire in your garden.

Keith Iddon ● 16d

This guy is burning rubbish in his garden in London! FFS

Paul Campbell ● 16d

“Jemy” in Polish translates as “We eat”.

Andrew Jones ● 16d

Thanks for replying David.The brand is JEMY which is suppose to even better than the one you mention.The carton would have had it's topopen and unfolded during the packing process ... so the mouse etc would have been floating in a big container/vat ... thus contaminating the whole batch.My pack contained the mouse.Other packs would have contained the contaminated soup!I'm an avid recycler ... even taking staples out of magazines and newspapers! This JEMY carton ... like others ...has an inner silver lining. I reckon that's not suitable for Council recycling.I sissorcut such cartons up ...and, together with some other unsuitable recycling items, have a small fire fortnightly in a clay oven in the garden.As I said. This mouse is a serious matter. The JEMY FACTORY EQUIPMENT needs a deep clean, and needs to be inspected, and current stocks removed from shelves everywhere!

Jim Lawes ● 16d

Was the brand Krakus? Presumably happened at the factory. I’d be inclined to decant the whole lot first in future. Oh and what do you mean you cut the packet for burning? Do you burn it yourself?

David Turner ● 16d

Continuing ...As normal ... I bought these Polish Soup packs from a Polish shop in Hammersmith.The staff there have told me before that it's the best brand on the market and it's HQ is somewhere in Poland.I decided to visit Trading Standards at Hammersmith Town Hall ...but I couldn't find it ... what I thought was the Town Hall is still under construction.So I moved on the Shop from where I have been buying this soup for months and months. I did a full presentation with the kettle, the carton,and the baby mouse. The Saleslady was astounded ... but said that the product arrives here sealed and they're not in a position to know of the purity of the contents.The saleslady speaks Polish and she was to send photos and a complaint to the Producer in Poland and she'll let me know of any response.On the bus home ... I became moreaware that ALL of these soup packsin London,in the Uk and maybe in Europe too ... should be removed from all shelves.Then I thought "how about the Newspapers ... local and national.How about TV even!Should I engage a Solicitor?I gave up hanging on the phone for40 minutes when I phoned the Citizen's Advice Bureau.I still have the pack, the soiled kettle and the mouse.Any suggestions about what I should do next.The Polish Company has a Facebook Page. This shocking incident coulddamage them immensely.Help!

Jim Lawes ● 16d