Off Topic: Gorton Fish Recall Warning... by Jstn

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Off Topic: Gorton Fish Recall Warning...

POSTED BY: JSTN
UPDATED: Monday, March 3, 2008 14:57
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VIEWED: 3196
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Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:08 AM

With the indulgence of the mods here, who I'm sure don't want any Browncoats to come to harm, I am posting this warning for you. This is deadly serious and not one of those internet spam stories. - Jstn

I was off to bed when on the news comes word of this recall. Being that I ate this exact product for dinner I was freaked out a bit and did some research.

I learned that a woman and her family in Pennsylvania found some unidentified pills in her fish.

Turns out that the product code on the box from my dinner was a couple of numbers off. just a couple, and the product was identical in every other way down to the bar code.

Needless to say, I'm a little edgy over this, and wanted to post about it right away.

If you recently purchased one of those yellow boxes of Gorton's be sure to look on the side flap for the printed number.

Below is the specific info from the company.

Please send it to everyone you know, before somebody eats God knows what kind of pills.

http://gortons.com/quality_standards.htm

Gorton's Product Recall

February 29, 2008

Gorton’s is voluntarily recalling specific 11.4 oz. packages of 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets, as they may contain foreign material.

The product was distributed nationally in retail stores, primarily in the Southeast.

The affected Battered Fish Fillet products have a

UPC code of 44400 - 15770

a “Best if Used by Date” of April, 2009, and the following manufacturing code that is embossed on the side of the package:

7289G1

For reference, this manufacturing code is indented into the long thin side panel of the box. The product being recalled is only the 11.4 oz. package, containing six Battered Fish Fillets with this specific manufacturing code.

No other Gorton’s products are being recalled.

If you have purchased a package of 6 Gorton’s Crispy Battered Fish Fillets with this manufacturing code, we would like to send you a full refund. To obtain your refund, please discard the fillets in the package and send your complete mailing information, along with the empty Fish Fillet package, to the following address:

Gorton’s Recall Center

PO Box 6075
Englewood, NJ 07631-0075

Remember to print your name address, city, state, and zip code clearly, and please also include your telephone number in case we need to contact you for any reason.

Once we receive your empty Fish Fillet package and mailing information, we will send you a refund for both the product and your mailing costs within 2 to 4 weeks.

If you would like to speak with a Gorton’s representative, call 1-800-222-6846 between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:51 AM

STRANGEBIRD

I don't usually eat anything but fresh seafood but my sister has a couple boys and she makes frozen fish for dinner from time to time. I'll let her know right away. Thanks.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:49 AM

JSTN

Glad to help, S.B.

We all have to look out for each other, as there is a lot of evil in this world. What kinda of sicko would put pills in the food supply anyway?

Where is Vera when I need her?

Please help me keep this thread bumped for at least a few days, until the word gets around.

Again, I appreciate "moderator indulgence" on this thread.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 11:11 AM

STRANGEBIRD

If it gets down there for a bit I'll gladly give a little nudge. Your right though, we gotta watch each others backs.

Also I don't buy Gorton's because of their connection to Whaling.

It should be noted that McDonalds gets their fillet-o-fish from Gorton's.

There's a darn good reason I only eat fresh seafood. For one thing it typically tastes better and I know it's going to be mostly free of contaminants(depending on where it's caught). Also I can buy it from a local fisherman or from the market and know my hard earned cash isn't funding whale slaughter or the clubbing of infant seals.

No I don't live in California. I'm from SC and grew up eating fresh shrimp by the pound.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 11:20 AM

TRAVELER

Thank You Jstn.

I will bump this so people get a chance to see.

Traveler

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 12:36 PM

JSTN

Thanks for the support folks.

I AM from Southern California, and I don't see any problem with "voting with your dollars" for the kind of society you want to live in. Actually, I wish more people would get the connection.

I started buying Gortons, because the other major brand (which shall go unnamed here) puts MSG in their fish.

I wrote to them and asked them why they did that considering a lot of people (like my daughter) are allergic to it, so it's like poison to some of their customers.

The short version of their answer was, "Because the gov't says' we can do it"

What kind of response is that? Geeze.

I don't buy that brand anymore.

Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a political rant or something, so back to the subject at hand...

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 12:47 PM

STRANGEBIRD

I didn't want to either, Jstn. It's just hard when talking about what people put into our food not to somewhat.

One problem I had though. How do we know the pills were not randomly put into fish and the only ones found so far where in that one package? I can see why they aren't pulling everything. Money. It would probably cost them less to pay a settlement to the family of whoever might eat anymore of these pills that could be out there in grocery freezers.

That's not saying there are anymore... just be careful if you insist on buying Gorton's. I wouldn't doubt though that this was probably an isolated incident.

In fact this should come as a warning to folks to be careful with any packaged food they buy. I found a nail in a box of cereal once, years ago. Just inside the box... if it was in the bag I might have done something about it. If your wondering it's holding up a mirror I think. Heh.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 1:38 PM

JSTN

Good points, SB, esp. the part about the possibilty of other product numbers being contaminated. I felt very lucky that we did not experience the issue with last nights dinner, or we would have spent the night at the ER under observation.

We also need to consider the fact that there are people out ther who would "plant" a hazard as a way to make money.

I can not say that this is not the case here, but for two over-riding factors.

It is just not worth taking the chance and not taking it seriously.

The original story (which I was lucky enough to locate) reeks of the truth to me.

To be fair, I am posting it here, so you all may judge for yourself. I found it on a Gerard Butler fansite (which will make my sister VERY happy to learn about, as she LOVES him LOL)

http://www.gerardbutlergals.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17624&m
ode=threaded

This all happened Sunday to my daughter and family. I want to make sure that it
doesn't happen to anyone else, so I decided to post it here too. It's been sent
to all our family members and friends already.
Lyn
__________________________________________________________________________

From: Tracy
To: Mom and friends
Subject: Warning: Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets
contaminated with PILLS..

Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:18:30 -0500 (EST)

Please read my warning below and take it VERY SERIOUSLY. This occurred to
me, Tracy Rowan and my children today, February 24, 2008.

This afternoon my nine year old daughter, my 10 year old son and I were
eating some of the above referenced fish fillets. While chewing, I bit down
on something hard. Thinking it was a fish bone I pulled it out of my mouth.
To my surprise it was a PILL (it was whole). My daughter was sitting nearby
and I told her to stop eating her fish, as I was warning her, she said "Mom
I have one too, and proceeded to pull another whole PILL out of her mouth.
They were the exact same size and shape. At this point we ran down the hall
yelling for my son to not eat anymore of the fish. He said he had already
bitten something hard, it tasted bitter so he spit out the fish onto his
plate.

I smashed up the other fillet on my son's plate and left the other two
fillets on my daughter and my plate untouched. I immediately contacted the
customer service number of the Gorton's box. I was redirected via their
phone message to another number to report safety concerns. I spoke with a
young lady who took down my information, told me to retain the product
packaging and the pills, provided me with a reference number and then
proceeded to tell me that someone would call me on Monday. I expressed my
concern that there might be other tainted boxes of fillets and she simply
reiterated that someone would call me on Monday.

I contacted my local grocery store (Giant Foods, in Shrewsbury, PA) and
advised them of the situation. They took down the barcode number and assured
me they would be pulling the product immediately. KUDOS to Giant for acting
so quickly.

Concerned that the pills might have been coated with something, I called
back Gorton's, expressed my concern and requested her opinion on whether or
not it would be prudent to head for the emergency room. Her advice was to
wait for a reaction, Astonished I replied "That might be too late, don't you
think?" Her reply was to do whatever I felt necessary.

Off to York Hospital we went (with fish fillets, pills, and box in hand),
the emergency room was standing room only, so we left and went to Memorial
Hospital. The nurses were unable to identify the pills, as there were no
visible markings (numbers, etc as on prescription or over-the-counter
medicines). They were unsure if the pills ever had markings or if the
moisture and subsequent microwave cooking of the fish had melted them away.
They took our vital signs and requested we sit in the waiting room with a
request to let them know if any of us starting feel "different," or ill.
Three hours later, after taking our vitals once again, and no signs of any
adverse affects, we were released and advised to call them if our condition
changed. In addition, we were told to contact our Police Department.

On the way home, we stopped at the Southern York County Police Department.
After relaying the situation, I was advised that there is no criminal code
on the books for them to act on. I asked her if we had been hospitalized and
or died if they would have had one, and the officers advised yes. I was
given a phone number to the PA Dept. of Agriculture as they would be the
agency to contact to investigate the situation. I have left a voice mail for
the Chief of the Laboratory Division.

If you have any of the above product in your freezer, check it for foreign
objects, take it back to your local store for a refund (with an explanation
was to why and the reference number of the complaint, see below), or just
throw it away.

The information on the product is:
Product: Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets - Bright Yellow Box
Barcode: 4440015770
Lot number (imprinted on top of box): 7289G1
Best if Used by April 2009

The reference number provided by Gorton's for the complaint I filed is
115821378

Gordens and the Pa Lab Div. called her yesterday and they want to see the
items in question. She will send them some but she is having the pills tested by an independent lab
herself too.
===========================================================
Update 2/28/08 news article: http://www.wgal.com/news/15439859/detail.html#

Gordens say they hope fore results by tomorrow from the lab

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 3:06 PM

JSTN

http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/gortons.asp

Just in case anyone still has any doubts, here is what Snopes has to say...

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 7:11 PM

JSTN

A little bump so the "night owl" Browncoats catch this too.

Appreciate any assistance bumping the thread, as well as comments. This is far too important to be missed.

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Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:26 PM

JSTN

Bumpity bump. Pay attention Browncoats.

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Sunday, March 2, 2008 7:59 AM

JSTN

Browncoat protection bump.

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Sunday, March 2, 2008 12:11 PM

JSTN

Afternoon Browncoat protection bump.

Hey ! I thought some of you folks were gonna help me keep this thread bumped for a few days till the word got out?????

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Sunday, March 2, 2008 5:36 PM

JSTN

Geeze.

Evening time looking out for my brothers in arms BUMP.

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Monday, March 3, 2008 7:11 AM

JSTN

One more day should do it Bump

I hope everybody reads this.

I don't want to read some guy dying after eating pills in his fish, while watching the Firefly DVD.

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Monday, March 3, 2008 2:57 PM

STRANGEBIRD

Bump...

Anyone know what fast food fish products are safe? Where does Arby's get their fish fillets? My mom likes their fish sandwich so she was wondering.

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