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11 months ago
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A grandmother is demanding Sainsbury's pay for her £300 dental bill after claiming to have cracked her tooth on a Taste the Difference 'pitted' olive.
Alison Macdonald, 73, purchased the Chargrilled Artichoke Antipasti pot from her Sainsbury's local in Canterbury in Kent to serve as 'nibbles' before a meal with her friend and husband Harry Macdonald, 76.
After making the £3.50 purchase, she picked out a Kalamata 'pitted' olive from the pot to eat but was surprised when she crunched down onto a stone and cracked her front tooth, she claims.
The grandmother-of-three said when she removed the broken olive stone from her mouth, she was horrified to find a piece of her veneer also in her hand.
Ms Macdonald was told it will cost her £300 to get her tooth fixed by a dentist.
Grandmother Alison Macdonald, 73, was left with a £300 dentist bill after she claims she bit down on a stone inside a 'pitted' olive
The grandmother's veneer was left chipped and a dentist told it would not be fixed in time for Christmas
The 73-year-old is 'embarrassed' about her broken tooth but won't be able to get it fixed until the new year, leaving her with a cracked tooth for Christmas and in all the family photos.
The mum-of-three says she has contacted the supermarket twice but has not yet been offered any compensation as they claim there is a safety warning on the bottom of the packet notifying customers about the potential for the olives to have a stone in.
Sainsbury's said they told Alison 'how sorry' they were for the inconvenience the incident caused her but added that the packaging does say some stones 'may remain'.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have told Alison how sorry we are for the inconvenience this rare experience has caused her.
'We have also explained to Alison that while extra care is taken to remove olive stones from our antipasti packs, some may remain. This is highlighted on the packaging.'
Alison, from Canterbury in Kent, said: 'I think they should offer some compensation with my dentist bills or something towards it at least. I didn't do anything wrong.
'I'm embarrassed about my tooth and it's uncomfortable and rough. It's a veneer and not my actual tooth but it will still make for an expensive repair.
'I keep getting bits of food caught on the little ledge. It doesn't look very nice and we have the Christmas festivities and parties coming up.
Grandmother-of-three Alison MacDonald, 73, said she was 'embarrassed' by the chipped tooth. Pictured: The broken stone Alison claims did the damage
'I'd rather it was fixed before Christmas as I don't want it [my cracked tooth] in the family photos.
'I don't think the dentist will have an appointment now until the new year so I'll be left with a cracked tooth for Christmas.
On Sainsbury's website, the Chargrilled Artichoke Antipasti pot is advertised to include semi-dried tomato segments, chargrilled artichoke quarters and 'pitted' Kalamata olives.
The former doctor said when she bit into the olive she didn't expect the fruit to have a stone inside.
Alison says she is 'disappointed' with how Sainsbury's has handled her complaint and says they should offer their customers better consumer care.
Alison said: 'Sainsbury's has offered no compensation.
'When I first contacted them about the incident they said they wouldn't do anything to help me because on the back of the packet next to the barcode there is a warning message about potential olive stones.
'It says, "although extra care has been taken to remove all olive stones, some may remain".
'This is what my husband would call, "covering their backs".
'They said because of this they wouldn't be able to offer me any compensation or take this any further.
'When they said this, this is when I contacted them on Twitter about the incident being a potential choking hazard.
'Maybe they should make their packaging clearer, to tell customers if the olives are pitted or not.
The olive she claimed chipped her tooth came from a Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Chargrilled Artichoke Antipasti. Pictured: The pot of antipasti Alison bought
'This little safety warning is in tiny writing at the back of the package not in a place where people would normally look.'
After contacting Sainsbury's on Twitter, Alison says she was told her complaint had been passed on to their management team and claims she was told they would be in touch within three to five working days, but over a week later, she claims no one has reached out.
Alison said: 'I was more shocked that Sainsbury's were so casual about it.
'I feel disappointed that they have not been more professional in dealing with the situation and especially with a potentially serious situation.
'They should have shown more care.'
A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: 'We have told Alison how sorry we are for the inconvenience this rare experience has caused her.
'We have also explained to Alison that while extra care is taken to remove olive stones from our antipasti packs, some may remain. This is highlighted on the packaging.'
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