'Bacterial growth': Aldi Shoppers stumped by white dots on chicken
An Aldi shopper has caused a stir online after she asked people for their help identifying white spots on her chicken breasts.
The woman posted the question and images of the raw chicken to a Facebook group for Aldi mums, leaving numerous members confused.
“Anyone know wtf this is?” she said, adding that she had purchased the meat at Aldi in Bathurst, NSW.
“Won’t be eating it that’s for sure!”
The woman said she purchased it three days prior to posting the image on Thursday. The chicken’s expiration date appears to be July 19.
“They weren't there when I bought it,” she said.
Many Facebook users said the white spots appear to be “bacterial growth” and urged the woman to return or exchange it.
“My partner is a butcher and thinks it might be spores,” one woman wrote.
“White speckles through poultry is salmonella,” another said.
“I have had this happen before. How do so many people have the same issue? I wonder if there is something dodgy going on with their handling,” a third Aldi shopper claimed.
The woman who purchased the meat brushed off claims the spots were caused by freezer burn because she had only stored it in the fridge.
Other Aldi customers said they often buy chicken from Aldi and don’t have any problems.
“I had some with this..smelt fine, tasted fine, we weren't sick...lived to tell the tale…” another group member said.
“Just looks like fatty deposits to me. I freeze all my meat as soon as I get home. I never leave meat just in fridge, except for what I'm using night of shopping day,” another wrote.
An article published by Dr Scott Russell, an extension poultry scientist, said the white spots could be bacteria called Lactobacilli or yeast cells.
They need to be studied under a microscope to be sure, he said.
“What makes these white spots especially problematic is that people expect spoilage odours to occur; however, consumers do not expect the appearance of white spots and find them objectionable,” he wrote.
“They often report that the chicken is ‘mouldy’. This results in a very bad reputation for the poultry processor.”
An Aldi spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia their “meat range goes through a stringent quality assurance process to ensure it exceeds the high standards customers have come to expect.”
“We always encourage customers to contact ALDI directly through the Customer Service Team so we can promptly and thoroughly investigate any issues.”
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