Dutch Mill shrugs off responsibility after drinking yoghurt poisons consumer

[webfact]

Dutch Mill shrugs off responsibility after drinking yoghurt poisons consumer

By The Nation

 

 

A woman who was hospitalised after consuming strange tasting drinking yoghurt said the producers of the beverage were only willing to cover medical bills that were not covered by social security.

 

On August 19, a Facebook user posted pictures of strange and disgusting looking contents of a carton of Dutch Mill drinking yoghurt and asked for advice.

 

She had started drinking the yoghurt, but decided to open the carton to check after she found it tasted strange.

 

The following day, she ended up being hospitalised at the Bangkok Hospital Muangraj in Ratchaburi province with a severe case of food poisoning.

 

She said she had been vomited until her eyes were bulging and her face had begun to swell. She said her chest hurt and she suffered with diarrhoea for several hours.

 

On August 22, she posted a photograph of her medical certificate and reported the incident to police.

 

A Dutch Mill representatives then reportedly came to meet her on Tuesday (August 25) to say the company will only cover medical expenses that go beyond what is covered by social security.

 

They allegedly said that if she wanted any other compensation, she would have to file a request with the Consumer Protection Board.

 

Upon learning of these details, netizens responded by saying they were frustrated that such a big company was taking so little responsibility and urged the woman to sue Dutch Mill.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30393551

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-26

 

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[ukrules]

They even gave her free legal advice - file a request with the Consumer Protection Board ????

[keith101]

The best way to deal with companies like this is get people to boycott them and get more people to join in through social media to pressure them into taking responsibility . 

Edited August 26, 2020 by keith101

[Saint Nick]

Wow!

Thais- companies reallt fight hard for customer- satisfaction!

...not...

[colinneil]

Well they certainly know how to get customer satisfaction.

Hit them where it hurts, social media, no better platform.

[worgeordie]

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

[Moonlover]

Any company that arbitrarily says 'yes' to a claim of this nature leaves itself wide open to so called 'copycat' claims.

 

IMO Dutch Mill are simply following best and probably the correct procedure in referring the customer to the Consumer Protection Board. 

 

[connda]

Dutch Mills will be tried in the court of public opinion.  I for one will remember this and vote with my brand choice.  My guess is that other people will too.  That's pretty bad press.

[Katipo]

IMO, Dutch Mill drinking yogurt taste atrocious. They are watery, overly sweet, and the 'fruit' flavours are obviously synthetic. This example of corporate f*ckery is just one more reason to stay clear of their products.

[dimitriv]

Are they responsible?  It seems everybody here assumes that they are.

 

Things like this are made in batches. Small change that only 1 bottle is affected.  If they did something wrong thousands of people should have similar complaints.

 

Probably the expiry date is 1 year in the past. Or a shop didn't keep the bottles refrigerated.

[dimitriv]

40 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

 

It looks like what happens if you put the bottle in the sun and wait a couple of months till after the expiry date.

 

 

[Misterwhisper]

24 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

It very much looks like some sort of mold fungus; or it could be Brevibacterium linens (red smear bacteria). Both are naturally occurring in milk but are largely destroyed when the milk (or yoghurt) is pasteurized.

 

However, if the product is stored non-refrigerated for a prolonged time, remaining mold or bacteria spores can "awaken" and begin growing again - and even more in "drinking yoghurt", which typically is laced with generous amounts of sugar.

 

But molds/bacteria also could be re-introduced into the product if the filling line is contaminated with these organisms. A company would pretty quickly find out about such a contamination and thoroughly disinfect the line because if an infestation exists, entire production batches would show mold or bacteria growth; not just single packages.

 

And still... even when refrigerated properly, practically all fluid or semi-fluid dairy products will "go bad" after some time. Refrigeration does not prevent bacteria/mold growth but merely delays it. There is a very good reason why such products carry expiration dates.

 

My hunch is that the product in question was either long past its expiration date (not unheard of in "mom-and-pop shops") or that there was an interruption somewhere in the refrigeration chain from manufacturer (Dutchmill) to retailer.

 

I fail to see how Dutchmill "shrugged off responsibility". They readily offered to pay for hospitalization and treatment cost beyond what the social security scheme provides. That is fair enough, because what the social security scheme covers is generally peanuts.

 

If the consumer in question is eyeing some some sort of lucrative damages payout, she should indeed file a lawsuit against Dutchmill. And she is likely to lose that one, as it's practically impossible to prove at what stage in the supply chain the contamination actually occurred.    

[sammieuk1]

Looks like some kind of street food in there to me the kind where you ask your Mrs what the hell is that and she doesn't know either ????

[Grumpy one]

52 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

 

53 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

Looks like something a soi dog might puke up

[fangless]

19 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

Looks like something a soi dog might puke up

Or her!

[Justgrazing]

Looks a bit like an Oyster or baby Alien ..

[Albert Zweistein]

Maybe they should buy her a fridge.

[torturedsole]

Strange, as my experience with Thais is that they can consume plutonium-grade som tam and other food laden with deadly bacteria with ease and no ill-effects.  

 

I'll reserve judgement on this occasion.  

[ChrisY1]

That's the end of Dutch Mill products for me.....!

[marin]

I would recommend not buying any dairy products by Dutch Mill. I accidentally bought Dutch Mill milk instead of Chokechai a few years ago. From one taste I knew something was wrong. It tasted as if the grass the cows eat was still in the milk.  I poured it out and there were no lumps like that, but something is wrong about their milk. Could it come from simply being made from a powder?  Awful stuff. 

[pixelaoffy]

Ah Thailand with its Civil liberties,Human rights, consumer rights ... Zero 

[Bender Rodriguez]

TIT

 

you could get SUED for telling the truth in this crazy country

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Upon learning of these details, netizens responded by saying they were frustrated that such a big company was taking so little responsibility and urged the woman to sue Dutch Mill.

Go on social media, show this photo and urge people to buy an alternative brand.

That usually gets a response.

[orchis]

recently hawkers started selling this dutch mill stuff in the street here, at traffic lights etc...
 

[Artisi]

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

probably not, but who cares, nothing like having a good bitch and trying to screw someone with an unsubstantiated claim - jousting at windmills?  

[Artisi]

18 hours ago, dimitriv said:

Are they responsible?  It seems everybody here assumes that they are.

 

Things like this are made in batches. Small change that only 1 bottle is affected.  If they did something wrong thousands of people should have similar complaints.

 

Probably the expiry date is 1 year in the past. Or a shop didn't keep the bottles refrigerated.

but it's their fault - (Thai thinking)

[AgMech Cowboy]

20 hours ago, keith101 said:

The best way to deal with companies like this is get people to boycott them and get more people to join in through social media to pressure them into taking responsibility . 

Easy to boycott a product I don't use.

[Card]

20 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Has anyone come up with an explanation of what that

is in the yoghurt,and how it got there.

regards Worgeordie

It looks like the innards of a duck-billed platypus, but my bet is on a ton of mould.

[bodga]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Dutch Mill shrugs off responsibility

Normal, is there any Thai that doesnt, its  just not in their vocabulary, lie and lie and lie some more.

[GSFISM]

Looks like some of the LAO food over around Mukdahan