After I became sick eating "So called" Health Food that I purchased from Vitamin Cottage I began to suspect their refridgeration was not up to standards (the Milk was warm, thats what alerted me). So I go back to this so called "Health Food Store and tested the temps of the ready to eat turkey, the raw chicken, and several other products and found the temps to be 51 degrees! Having worked in resturants in my younger days I knew that anything above 41 degrees for longer than a short period must be thrown out! I called this to the person in charge, she got her thermometer and checked the temps as well. She CONFIRMED my findings but really didn't seem to know anything about critical temps for food, or even the basics of what must be done.
I went home and called the Corporate office and talked to a receptionist whom didn't seem willing to put me through to the person in charge, but promised someone would call. Five hours went buy and still no call! So I called the store I purchased the food from and they said "Oh we had that handled within an hour" I asked: What did you do to fix the problem that fast-turn down the thermostat? At this point I thought maybe they were just trying to save electricity, and selling corrupted food in the process.
I called Corporate and demanded to speak with someone in charge! I spoke to Co-Pres Kemper Isley, one of the sons of the family that started the business years ago. Immediatly he became defensive and rude. While talking on the phone he said he was handed a note that the fridge temps were now 49 degrees! Now even he has confirmed my findings! He basically said I couldn't prove that his stores food made me sick... His attitude was basicly "So what you are sick from our food... PROVE IT!"
So I filed a small claims suit and spent the next month gathering documentation that the USDA reports food above 41 degrees will DOUBLE its bacteria content every TWO HOURS, and included were the lists of bacteria, what they can do to you and how some can even grow inside you for weeks before you start showing digestive and host of other health problems.
So we went to small claims court, (I had subpeoned the "person in charge that day who confirmed my findings, a Susan Keys) I called her up to the stand and she FLAT OUT LIED! Basicly doing the "never seen this guy routine", the whole Vitamin Cottage "Executives" were sitting in the court room giggling and having a good time with the whole thing. This Kemper Isely got up and basically claimed there is no proof, they have had such fridge temps, ect. Of course without my "Key" witness, the person in charge that day the Judge ruled, Sorry but the burden of proof has not been met here. The key witness and president LIED under oath (Feloney) and in the Kemper Isely was right-I couldn't Prove it.
The Founder of this health food chain (Kempers Mother) would turn over in her grave, she always believed in caring about other peoples health, she would or maybe is looking down ashamed of what her children have done with her legacy.
I my self will picket thier store, I have a special sign at the Flea Market where I sell natural Aloe Vera lotions, "BEWARE Vitamin Cottage can make you sick!" and about 15 to 20 thousand people go through the flea market each day on the weekends... Vitamin Cottage You are NOT going to get away with such lies! I will always promote my story every where I go... What you put out - you get back!
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