Whole Foods on Carlisle...Bulk Food has maggots!

[Shannon]

Just thought I'd let everyone know. I bought soup mix from the bulk bins two weeks ago, and when I went to cook it today I found maggots in it. I went down to the store and found maggots crawling outside the bins. When they pulled it out of the walls there were even FLIES inside the bins, and it was completely infested.

I am completely grossed out.

[davis]

I never understand this attitude about the co-op. Most of the employees have worked there for years, and are very friendly. And maybe some hipster hippies shop there, but so do plenty of average folks. Remember, smile and the world smiles back at you!

[singingwater]

The problem is that the Co-op really isn't a co-op any more. It is run by people who have capitalistic values and agendas. Employees are deliberately kept at 3/4 time so they cannot get benefits, the food prices are definitely not for "average folks". This is not a comment about the people who work at the store,who I have known many of over the years, but those in management who have indeed "worked there for years" and do very little work- but do a lot of PR for themselves. I have lived in Albq for over 20 years and have observed the various transformations of the Co-op-from when it was called Osha,then a small store on Girard, and then watched how it changed when "the professionals" came in. I have been a member of Co-ops in Boston, Denver, and Montreal. This is not a co-op- don't fool yourself. Being on the Co-op board is a useful activity to build up one's resume. Look at the composition of the board- no representation of working class people or people of color. It's a social club for "the new elite". And this is a pattern that you can see in many cities, and usually coincides with gentrification of an area.

[MeatyUrologist]

Well, on several of these points you are wrong. No one is deliberately kept at 3/4 time here. I'm not sure where you got that idea. There are of course part time employees, just like anywhere else, but there is no push from ANYONE in ANY department to keep people at low hours to deny them benefits. Oh, first I should point out, that I can only really comment on my location on Rio Grande, but if there was any such push from management to do anything like that, we certainly would feel it down here too.

Yes, the prices at the co-op are high when compared to prices at Albertsons or Smiths, but not when compared to Whole Foods, or other comparable stores (and we know because our department managers regularly make field trips to these stores to compare prices). And if you see that our meat is more expensive than at Vitamin Cottage, well, our prices on watermelons are cheaper. And if you think that our artichokes are more expensive than at Whole Foods, well, our bulk rice and flour are cheaper. We wouldn't be able to compete in business if our prices were more expensive that everywhere else. Not for the "average" Albertsons shopper, true, but definitely for the "average" Whole Foods shopper. And we're local.

And I'm sorry there is currently no person of color on our board for the moment, but there certainly have been in the past. And as for thinking that they are some sort of "new elite", and not representative of the working class; Lonn Calenta is on the board, and he works here at the co-op, making the same amount we all do. Tom Hammer who just ended his run as board member is the Bulk manager at my store, and he's no "new elite". Tamara Saimons is a nurse. Marshall Kovitz is a mediator. Stephanie Dobbie is an environmental educator. So what exactly are you talking about?

And just so you know, I have no special attachment or loyalty to the co-op. I have no plan to make working here my career, and I will move on if a better opportunity arises for me. But I've stayed here for several years, because I love the customers, and I love my co-workers. I get good benefits, and I get paid a livable wage. I get paid vacation time, sick leave... our departments even get a gain share bonus when we do well. I can't speak for how the co-op used to be. I'm sure it was very nice, and I can't deny that there is a more "corporate" feel to the place. But really, I think that most of your opinions about the Co-op are a little misguided. Hope you don't mind me trying to correct some of that.

[singingwater]

I'm glad that you enjoy working at the coop and that it works for you. I'm also glad that you addressed so many of the points that I mentioned. I have no interest in debating with you about your points. Much of the information I have is from former employees, and from being a long time resident of Albuquerque. I hope that the problems have been remedied. Obviously you like it- you have been there for a few years and sound very loyal . I can only say that there are others who disagree with you. And that you may not know some of the history and deeper issues behind the scenes. I can understand your desire to defend your workplace that you are presently at. Your characterization of the board members still sounds elitist and exclusionary, to me.

[MeatyUrologist]

I've worked at the Co-op (valley store) for two and a half years. Their living wage policy means that I can't agree with you about the underpaid comment, but I do agree that the Nob HIll store is more of a "scene", and I can't really get in to that. But I don't think that should dissuade you from supporting local businesses, farms, and our local economy... but that's just my opinion.

[Shannon]

I appreciate everyone's comments. Yes, I have contacted the Health Department and Whole Foods corporate offices. Unfortunately, yesterday was a holiday and no one was in the office. I don't have pictures (I tried, but my camera isn't able to capture the details), but I am keeping the sample of buggy soup mix.

Yes I buy local, and stongly believe everyone should. I get my box of veggies from Los Pablanos every week. In fact, I was trying to add this damn soup mix to the veggies to make a vegetable soup. I go to the co-op as well. Unfortunately, I'm getting to the point where I don't trust any vender, store, or restaurant anymore. Since moving here a year and a half ago, I have noticed the quality of food and food storage in restaurants and grocery stores are pretty poor. Maybe they need more regular health inspections in this city, or perhaps a grading system like they have in many other cities.

I just wanted to inform people because it dumbfounds me that those maggots were not noticed for at least two weeks or more. That means many, many people must have purchased and eaten food that was completely infested. It makes me angry and sick. And, yes, there should be a forum in order to share these experiences because I want to be informed.

[Black is the new Black]

I'm confused, you found maggots, informed the business, they pulled the merchandise - what is it you're upset about?

I bought a bad carton of milk at Smiths once, I didn't think it worthy of posting on the internet...

[Shannon]

Uhh...the fact that not one employee at the store noticed the bugs and the webbing they were spinning in the bin for at least 2 weeks. It's a health issue I thought others might want to know about. There were maggots crawling outside the bins, for god's sake.

I think everyone's bought a bad carton of milk at one time in their life. I think an ongoing infestation of bugs is a completely different matter, don't you?

[Black is the new Black]

I'm not clear where this whole "ongoing infestation of bugs" comment is coming from. Were you watching this bin for two weeks? How are you able to state so authoritatively that for two weeks this bin of food had "maggots crawling outside" and webbing?

Or - is it likely that the food in the bin and the food you bought went bad and developed maggots at the same time. That two weeks ago, one week ago, perhaps even just a few days ago it wasn't readily apparent that the food was going bad?

I'm not sure that there is anything the business could do which would appease your sense of anger, what is it that you are aiming for with this thread? You aren't warning people of an issue - you've already ensured the business took care of the issue - what is it you're after?

I ask because this sounds more like an attempt at revenge for a business making an honest mistake than a public service announcement.

[Black is the new Black]

Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty gross experience. I'm sure that if I had that happen to me I would think twice about buying the same product from them again.

However, it is this whole internet smear campagin you are waging that is confusing me. I'm just not sure I see the point - if you think they are truly being negligent that's one thing but what you have described doesn't sound like a pattern of negligence.

Perhaps there are details you've left out? Was it all the bulk bin foods that were bad, or perhaps several? Did the store respond to you informing them with a "oh yeah, that happens all the time"?

[Randy]

Do you have any concept on how long it takes for a maggot infestation to happen ? or how noticable the flys must have been for this to happen ?
It is a big differance from a carton of spoiled milk .I myself would never buy bulk foods set out in bins for every body to dig into , cough over drop stuff in , let their kids sample out of ect ect . ick .Before I went into theater I used to cook for the Deli at wild oats , untill I finly got so disgusted with the way grocery stores do biz. Remember the grilled chicken breasts at the deli , well those were past date and could not be sold raw , so we cooked them and then charged twice has much for them , same with the old dairy and produce , Im shocked more people havent gotten sick or more infestations havent been found .

[singingwater]

I've heard that about the cheese from an employee who worked at Academy. They trimmed the mold off the cheese and rewrapped it with a new date sticker. And the cheese that is used for the sample tray is usually the oldest,on the edge cheese.