- An Ekurhuleni resident's mother got more than she bargained for when she returned from Food Lovers Market.
- After purchasing butternut squash as part of her groceries, she discovered the vegetable was spoiled beyond use.
- Briefly News reached out to the woman’s daughter, who expressed her dissatisfaction with the store's quality control.
- Food Lovers Market addressed the issue with Briefly News, claiming they were unaware of the problem and emphasized their commitment to quality.
Tebogo Mokwena, a seasoned Briefly News journalist specializing in current affairs, has passionately covered international and local social issues such as health, corruption, education, unemployment, labor disputes, service delivery protests, and cultural heritage in South Africa over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
EKURHULENI — Imagine coming home from the grocery store, excited about your fresh produce, only to discover one of your items is completely spoiled. That’s exactly what happened to a woman from Midrand in Ekurhuleni. When she arrived home after shopping at Food Lovers Market, she realized the butternut squash she had purchased wasn’t just underwhelming—it was utterly unusable.
How a Simple Grocery Trip Turned Sour
The woman, who prefers to remain anonymous, shared her mother’s unfortunate experience with Briefly News. According to her account, her mother stopped by Food Lovers Market in Greenstone Mall, Ekurhuleni, to pick up some essential groceries. Among those items was a butternut squash, which seemed perfectly fine at first glance. However, upon closer inspection at home, the truth revealed itself: the butternut squash was rotten to the core.
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“I’m so disappointed,” she confessed to Briefly News. “You expect to buy fresh produce, especially from a well-known chain like Food Lovers Market. But instead, we ended up with something that’s completely useless.”
Briefly News Investigates Further
In response to this incident, Briefly News reached out to Food Lovers Market for clarification. The store issued a statement addressing the situation.
“Firstly, we were not aware of the incident until it was brought to our attention. The butternuts in question were spoiled due to poor quality originating from the supplier or mishandling within the store,” the store explained.
“It’s possible that the issue arose because stock wasn’t rotated properly. We conduct regular audits, both internally and externally, with an outsourced head office company overseeing these processes. Additionally, all stock is inspected daily by our receiving manager and fruit & veg supervisor to ensure top-notch quality.”
Despite their explanations, the shop encouraged the affected customer to contact them directly to discuss the matter further. “We value our customers and want to address any concerns they might have,” they added.
Another Shocking Grocery Store Find
This isn’t the first time a South African shopper has encountered a disturbing item in their groceries. In a similar story, Briefly News reported on a woman who discovered a rat inside a loaf of Sasko bread. Her reaction was captured on TikTok, where she detailed how she purchased the bread in Leondale, Ekurhuleni. The revelation left many consumers questioning the safety and quality standards of major supermarket chains.
While incidents like these are rare, they underscore the importance of maintaining high-quality standards across all levels of the supply chain. For now, shoppers can only hope that such surprises remain few and far between.
