ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 uncovered the Department of Agriculture is looking into potentially dangerous food safety concerns at a Winn-Dixie.
It started with a freezer failure at the Winn-Dixie on Goldenrod and Curry Ford roads that caused some food to be thrown out, but not all of it.
Channel 9’s Janine Reyes spoke to a worker who said he wouldn’t trust the food in his home.
Raw: Winn-Dixie employee shows melted freezer products
PDF: Winn-Dixie Failed Inspection Report
Product logs are one piece of evident the Department of Agriculture will look out, along with a video made by an employee.
Employee Jason Nichols made a video Sunday when he said management told him to leave the melted product on the freezer shelves for customers to buy.
Warmer than normal temperatures made some things in the freezer to melt.
Management said when they noticed, they kicked the fans back on and the only damage to the food was cosmetic.
They have no health concerns.
Winn-Dixie management threw out some product when the freezers failed, and then again two days later after Reyes called them.
They did not say what they sold in between.
Shoppers said its product they wouldn’t knowingly purchase.
“If there’s an issue with their freezer, they shouldn’t allow anybody to purchase anything that’s been defrosted,” said shopper Chrystal Lightning.
Nichols’ video showed pizza, wings and pretzels in the same freezer section that failed.
He was suspended with pay while the investigation continues.
Winn-Dixie managers said those products were not affected.
Nichols said corporate told him they would investigate, but corporate said they question his motive.
The store will offer refunds to anyone who may have bought melted product, but they did not notify shoppers.
Winn-Dixie managers would not say how much of the impacted product was sold Monday and how much had to be tossed out.
WFTV
