Here’s an unusual story from around this time last year. Reportedly, dangerous amounts of Xylene were found in Lidl’s Kania Meat and Kania Chicken Gravy Granules, leading to Lidl recalling the products and offering full refunds to customers.
As the countdown to Christmas has begun, one can only hope we don’t see a repeat of something like that – this year!
We don’t often cover contaminated food stories, but as budget supermarkets are becoming increasingly popular in recent times, we were reminded of this one in last year’s run up to Christmas, and decided to blog it!
The dangers of Xylene
Xylene is a flammable petrochemical that can be found in natural petroleum and crude oil. It’s normally used as a solvent for paint and inks (paint thinner), nail polish, wood lacquers and stains. Needless to say, something that is corrosive enough to break down paint does not belong in food. The amount found in the gravy granules reportedly exceeded the level set by the Food Safety Agency, posing all sorts of health issues and risks.
Then again, shouldn’t we be more concerned that paint thinner ingredients are even being found in food?!
Xylene can attack the central nervous system, affecting the nose, mouth, throat and lungs. According to Public Health England, symptoms after consuming the chemical can include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
In more serious cases, the harmful chemical can even cause damage to the heart, liver and kidney, and can even result in a coma.
A reported case of illness
One family in South Wales say they ate the gravy and claimed they were plagued with all sorts of ailments. They say they suffered headaches, dizziness, stomach pains, breathing difficulties and were passing blood.
Apparently, even their dogs became seriously ill from eating the children’s leftovers.
After seeing a GP, one family member was reportedly told the blood he was passing was because of the burning of the stomach. The children reportedly suffered burning and blisters in their mouths, even though they only ate a very small amount of the gravy because they apparently stopped after complaining about a chemical smell and taste.
As Christmas 2017 approaches, we hope there won’t be anything like this happening around the festive season!