A woman described how she nearly felt sick after unsealing a foul-smelling freezer at an Asda in a seaside town that had been in a grimy state for over a week. The lady, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that the “yeasty, rotten” scent made her feel like throwing up in the Southport store. Photos sent to ECHO reveal ice lollies submerged in grubby, stationary water.
She added: “You could see mould inside. I looked at the temperature and it was 37 degrees – far above what it should be.”
The ideal temperature for a freezer falls between -18C and -20C. As stated on the Which? website, this temperature range ensures food safety by inhibiting most bacteria from multiplying or producing toxins and slowing down the chemical reactions causing food spoilage.
The lady first recognised a problem with the freezer when she went to pick up an ice cream after work last week. She rushed to inform Asda’s staff about her concerns, but feels they didn’t take her worries seriously.
She said: “The staff were nice and polite, and I know mistakes happen, but I am concerned about health and safety – there are kids who go in the shop and it is not right that they are exposed to this.”
The woman was told by staff that she would have to wait 20 minutes to speak to a manager, but she didn’t have time to wait.
She visited the store multiple times over the week and noticed the freezer was still in the same condition despite informing the staff thrice.
Having previously managed a grocery store, the woman tried to lodge a complaint online and via phone, but she said she “hit a brick wall.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We have robust cleaning processes in place to ensure that our stores are clean and tidy, so we’re disappointed to see that we haven’t met our high standards on this occasion.
“We would like to reassure customers that the freezer has since been cleaned.”
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