The Tale Of The Moldy Cookies

[modiddly16]

There is a product out there on the market that I very much enjoy, so I'm not going to post the company name on here because I don't want to completely blame them for my bad experience. I stopped by my local grocery store and picked up a bag of these delicious cookies (mind you at $8.99 a bag, they better be delicious), the expiration date said good through Feb. 2011...which you always have to check because some stores are better about watching this than others.

So yesterday, I remember that I bought the cookies...I open the fully sealed bag and take a bite...then I inhale, and smell what can only be described as how a nail salon chemical smells. I look down again at the cookie and notice gree fuzz...all over the cookie.

I immediately lost my cookies (pun intended), as my gag reflex gets out of control if something smells 1/4 as bad as this did. I had my finacee look at the rest of the bag and all of them were covered in the fuzz.

While I'm aware that I should look before I eat (sometimes with cookies my inner fat girl comes out ) but has anyone had this happen?

I emailed the company letting them know and was going to return them to the store in hopes that I'd get my money back, which I doubt.

I just wasn't sure if this was something others have experianced, or if I'll ever be able to eat a cookie again. blech.

[shopgirl]

Oh, that's awful.

I used to drink bottled Starbucks Mochas every day and once took a huge mouthful without sniffing first

[GFreeMO]

Agh..yuck.Hopefully the get back to you soon with a refund and gift cards for your trouble!

[GlutenGladi8or]

If the manufacturer is an up-and-up company you'll get your money back. If not, go to the retailer. Just make sure that you have the box that they were sold in, and the respective code dating (as they will need that to process your refund).

SO many things could have led to this:

- Is the item all natural or organic? Without a preservative, they have a tendency to have shorter shelf lives.

- Are the cookies sold at a shelf stable temperature? If so, high heat in the store can make items go bad.

- The retailer could have let this item sit in the back of the store at a high temperature.

Let us know if the manufacturer gets back with you and their actions to rectify the situation.

[Juliebove]

I have had moldy Ener-G bread that was not expired and still sealed.

[Takala]

There is a popular snack bar that is gluten free that I eat all the time, but .... now I always open it up carefully and LOOK at it first before that initial bite.

You can recover. But you may have just developed a new .... habit.

[MelindaLee]

I had a simlar experience with some crackers. It was the first time I had bought them so I didn't know what the taste was supposed to be. The best I can describe is it smelled like they used algae in the crackers! The company was wonderful and actually sent me a new box of crackers, plus a whole box of gluten-free foods...many of which I hadn't tried before. (Though I still have yet to try the crackers that weren't good. )

[modiddly16]

I returned them to the store and they refunded me my money and were really apologetic. I told them that I obviously didn't blame them but when something is $8.99 you can't just waste that type of money, especailly on cookies! I emailed the company the day it happened and have heard nothing back from them yet, which is really disappointing. I know that companies are busy and sometimes it takes a day or so to respond to someone but a week? I don't love that. I work in customer service and responsiveness is a high priority!

[GlutenGladi8or]

I work in customer service and responsiveness is a high priority!

Give them one more phone call next week and see if they respond. In your message, let them know that you personally make responsiveness a priority in your life and you hope that they do the same. In your message, let them know:

- The retailer

- Date of purchase

- Date of consumption

- Code date on box (you may need to hold it up to the light and read the stamp sideways)

Hopefully, they will clean up their own backyard. If not, let the board know about the manufacturer after the first of the year.

Here's why I take this so seriously. ONE bad gluten free product interaction can cast a terrible shadow on ALL gluten-free products. And, I think we are all in agreement on this board to move forward with the Gluten Free agenda.

Good luck!

[Nor-TX]

I have had this happen twice with Daiya cheese purchased at Whole Foods. The first time I opened the package the cheese was all green even though the "best buy" date was a long way off. The package was not split or opened in any way. It took me weeks to purchase the next bag - it was fine. Again I bought a bg and once more when I opened it the center was green. I now puchase it at Sprouts and it has been good, although last week the bag I bought had a rip I noticed when I was putting it in the fridge. I packaged it into another bag. I am not rough or neglectful with my groceries so I don't know what happened. I didn't return the Whole Foods bags because it is an hour drive to get there. I didn't return the Sprouts bag because I can't be sure when the rip happened. I don't think I will buy the Daiya cheese again or at least for a long time - it's too expensive to be so much work and quite frankly, it really isn't that good.

[modiddly16]

So now I'm mad. The company hasn't responded to two e-mails about the situation. That's just poor customer service and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing their product again!

[kareng]

So now I'm mad. The company hasn't responded to two e-mails about the situation. That's just poor customer service and quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing their product again!

What is the name of the product?

[modiddly16]

They were Aleia's Almond Horn Cookies.

[modiddly16]

I just sent them another email letting them know how disappointed I was in their lack of response and that I couldn't justify supporting their product if they couldn't bother responding to those loyal to them. I imagine I came across as a B word.

[modiddly16]

well now I feel bad.

I am very sorry for the delay in my reply. I just checked our spam folder online and found your first email. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you may have been caused and thank you so much for taking the time to email us. I would like to also thank you for purchasing our cookies. I am very sorry you did not have the opportunity to open a bag of our gluten free almond horn cookies and enjoy the extraordinary aroma of the recipe. We are committed to delivering quality, delicious, safe, all natural, gluten free products to the people that need them.

As a young company, that is growing by leaps and bounds, I can say, we have experienced some growing pains. We have been assessing all packaging possibilities with our lab and they have educated us on many different potential ways our packaging could occasionally become flawed and how our products can become compromised in transport. The lot number you gave me indicates that the cookies were produced and shipped in July. With the extremely high humidity we had this summer it is very possible the reason for the mold is a weather related problem.

I can assure you our gluten free bakery facility follows HACCP and good manufacturing practices and the inner bag that we use is FDA approved. Thank you for including the lot number and enjoy by date. This information is especially important to us. We do have a quality control manager who oversees the quality standards of our raw materials all the way through to the finished product. I have notified him of your lot number incident.

For being so kind to write to us, we would like to send you some cookies. Please give me your address and I will ship them to you. I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced; we will do everything possible to eliminate similar problems in the future. We really do appreciate your feedback, and look forward to hearing from you again.

Kindest Regards,

Linda

Linda Allain

VP Customer Relations

Aleia's Gluten Free Foods

4 Pin Oak DriveBranford, CT. 06405P: 203.488.5556

F: 203.488.0923aleias@sbcglobal.netFollow us: Open Original Shared Link

[shopgirl]

It's great that they got back to you but what a goofy email.

Give the free cookies they send you the once over before you eat them.

[eatmeat4good]

Really enjoyed this thread with all the ups and downs of yaack, now I'm mad, NOW I'm mad, K now I feel bad. You made me laugh Mo!!!!

[modiddly16]

well I was pretty mad!!! but after her response and her offer for free cookies I felt badly for coming across as a jerk

[kareng]

well I was pretty mad!!! but after her response and her offer for free cookies I felt badly for coming across as a jerk

Let us know if you get the cookies and how they are.