A few days ago the phone rang and imagine my surprise when my caller ID showed someone from Price Chopper was ringing me. Turns out, it was an automated message letting me know about a voluntary recall taking place on certain Price Chopper bagels and muffins.
I had to actually play the recording back several times to be sure I heard it correctly, but apparently there was some concern about “naturally occurring foreign matter found in the raisins used in their bagels and muffins that did not meet Price Chopper’s quality standards.” And I had been identified, according to their records, as someone who purchased bagels and muffins from Price Chopper in the past three months. Guilty as charged I thought.
The recorded voice instructed me to bring any affected product back to the store for a full refund and gave the usual phone numbers and websites where I could call or go to for a full list of recalled items.
Like many shoppers these days I possess multiple loyalty cards for different retailers, but I can’t actually ever remember being contacted via phone or otherwise about a recall, however, given the content of the message I found it oddly reassuring and yet concerning at the same time. At first, I was impressed that Price Chopper was actually utilizing my customer loyalty card data to link me to the bagels rather than give me some useless coupon offer, but then I got distracted when I began wondering what exactly did “naturally occurring foreign matter” mean? I don’t know about you, but all of the things that came to mind I could think of nothing good. The other thing that struck me odd was that the recall covered bagels and muffins with raisins purchased during a three-month span. Not sure whose household would have a three-month old bagel around, but it’s not mine. Whether I give in to my weakness and settle for a Vermont bagel or bring back dozens of “real” bagels from New Jersey when I visit my parents as I am often known to do, ours are consumed immediately as I imagine is the case for most people. Maybe I am not seeing this correctly but it seems like it took months to discover there was a potential issue at hand.
Ah well, the good news is Everything and Salt are the two top bagel flavor preferences here in the Radice household, so no worries for me about the raisins. As for Price Chopper, I’d give them an A+ for effort in contacting shoppers, but a B- in timing and clarity. And to any of you reading this from the New York/New Jersey area with aspirations to own your own old-time bagel shop and/or deli, (don’t get me started on how I dream of having a place nearby to get a good corned beef, pastrami or brisket sandwich) I happen to know a few areas here in Vermont where you could make a killing.
