A promotion by the New World supermarket chain intended to attract eco-conscious New Zealanders has somewhat backfired.
The New Zealand-based company has issued an apology to customers on its website after receiving reports that some of their reusable food storage "pods" were becoming "damaged" in the microwave.
"This is a serious issue and has our full attention," the company said. "Firstly, we would like to reassure customers that there is no food safety issue and we have been working with MPI and other experts on this."
New World launched the container promotion earlier this month, giving them away free to customers who spent a certain amount on groceries. The items, which come with a vacuum pump, have been promoted as a way to make food last longer - reducing food waste.
"New Zealand homes throw away 122,547 tonnes of food per year, all of which could have been eaten," the company pointed out. "This is enough food to feed the whole of Dunedin for two years!"
But now the narrative has changed, with New World promising it is "advising customers through as many channels as possible" that the pods shouldn't go in the microwave.
"We would like to reassure members, staff and customers that there is no food safety issue," the company said on its website. "We have verified this with independent industry experts."
The pods were safety tested prior to the promotion, but it wasn't until two customers brought the microwave issue to the company's attention that it was realised something had gone wrong.
New World said it has launched an investigation into how the error occurred.
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