A West Midlands woman has revealed how a simple chicken sandwich bought from a local shop led to a severe salmonella infection and a permanent, life-altering health condition.
A Holiday Return Turns to Horror
In May 2022, Beverley Patterson, a 67-year-old from Sandwell, had just returned from a dream holiday in the Dominican Republic. With an empty fridge, she popped into the Hales Lane One Stop in Smethwick and bought a £3 packet of roast chicken slices from Cranswick Country Foods.
"I was still in holiday mode and hungry," Beverley recalled. "It was my worst decision ever." She made a plain sandwich and went to bed, hoping to sleep off her jet lag.
'Explosive' Illness and Medical Diagnosis
Hours later, Beverley awoke with what she describes as 'explosive' vomiting and diarrhoea. "My stomach started rumbling and then it was non-stop like a tap had been turned on. It was horrific," said the former children's care home manager.
Stuck on the toilet night and day, she became weak and dehydrated. Her GP ordered urgent tests, which confirmed she had contracted salmonella, a potentially lethal foodborne pathogen. "I thought it was linked to raw chicken and never knew you could catch it from shop-bought slices," she added.
Environmental Health was contacted and interviewed Beverley. The virulent infection was so persistent she needed two separate courses of antibiotics over eight weeks to fight it. "I didn't think it would ever end. It was horrendous torture," she said.
Life-Altering Consequences and Legal Battle
The trauma of the infection triggered infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a chronic condition that has drastically changed Beverley's life. She now relies on disability aids and walking sticks, had to stop working, and follows a strict diet planned by a dietician.
Most profoundly, she lives in constant fear of leaving her home. "I always need a toilet nearby... I have had a few accidents while out shopping," Beverley explained. "I feel trapped sometimes. I have a real fear whenever I go out." She now carries a change of underwear and misses family events due to her anxiety.
After One Stop offered her a £10 gift voucher in response to her complaint, she decided to take legal action against the manufacturer, Cranswick Country Foods. Following a lengthy battle, she secured a £38,000 out-of-court settlement.
"I knew Cranswick were a big firm, but they can't sell chicken that makes you sick and destroy lives and just get away with it," Beverley stated. "So I took a stand and made them pay."
Her lawyer, Siobhan Campbell, said: "A simple trip to the corner shop... destroyed Beverley's health. Now others who have been similarly injured from any shop-bought chicken may have a valid claim."
Cranswick Country Foods had issued a nationwide recall of the chicken, including products sold in One Stop shops, shortly after Beverley's purchase. One Stop declined to comment when approached.
