A Gut Feeling: The Misadventure with Spoiled Sauce
The story
I’ve always been somewhat paranoid about food hygiene – blame it on years in food service plus childhood memories of getting sick from our granny’s meals. My partner, however, tends to dismiss my concerns about food safety, only really embracing the culinary arts himself the last few years. Although he’s pretty competent, he occasionally disregards my cautious food advice, opting instead to trust the general advice online, which tends to annoy me.
A couple of weeks ago, while we were putting away groceries, I noticed that one of the bottles of sauce didn't look quite right—it was unusually dark and the oil had separated. I suggested he take a picture, request a refund, and discard it. Although he agreed that something seemed off, he just put it back on the shelf. Over the next several days, I mentioned the sauce a few times, concerned that he had not yet thrown it out. After some repeated discussions, I gave up.
Then, out of nowhere, he messages me to say he had to stop working due to vomiting. He hardly ever gets ill, so I immediately worried. It turned out he had consumed the suspicious sauce and was suffering the consequences. Despite my frustration, I helped him settle down with electrolytes and his video game, mostly because I had a doctor’s appointment the next day which he’d promised to attend with me, and now everything seemed more complicated.
Thankfully, he recovered quickly—fast enough to accompany me as promised. However, as he was feeling better and began to prepare himself something to eat, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer and pointed out that this incident wouldn’t have happened if he’d heeded my initial warning. This sparked a bit of a heated debate where he insisted it was just a bad luck incident, while I felt vindicated in my caution.
Now, we’re locked in disagreement; if you think I was harsh for confronting him when he was nearly recovered, I’m prepared to say sorry. If not, I stand by my stance.
One has to wonder how this episode would’ve unfolded if it were being filmed for a reality show. Imagine the dramatic zoom-ins and suspenseful music as I inspect the sauce and declare it bad, cut to him eating the sauce against a backdrop of ominous tunes, and then the inevitable 'I-told-you-so' showdown. Would the audience side with me, or see my nagging as over the top?
Points of view
GroovyMaroonWaterTelevisionInKyotoWithRegret
1mo agomaybe you overreacted a bit????
In "The Great Gatsby," there's a line about how we should all try to reserve judgment….. My partner can be really stubborn too, and honestly, I've had to choose my battles, you know?????? Remember the saying, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar???????" I’d have prob handled it different, might be better to agree to disagree🤔??? Branding it as just "bad luck" isn't necessarily wrong; stuff happens!!! But I feel ya, food safety’s a big deal… Maybe next time, calm convo could work better
ElectricYellowLightningLevelInIstanbulWithAnticipation
1mo agoI can see why you're frustrated, but maybe the approach was a bit much 🤔
It's like they say, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink".
As much as I care about my own family's health and safety, I've learned to pick my battles. My partner once ignored my advice about checking expiration dates, and yes, it didn't end well, but constantly reminding only builds tension.
Besides, as Oprah says, "Turn your wounds into wisdom"!! Maybe a little more patience and less confrontation next time, it could foster better communication, even if it's hard..
BubblingTurquoiseWoodKummerspeckInLagosWithJoy
1mo agoTotally get where you're coming from!!
Honestly, you weren't harsh at all, just realistic 👍 I've worked in food service too, and food safety is no joke Had a similar situation with my roommate, he left out raw chicken overnight... Sometimes people need a wake-up call It's frustrating when you try to keep things safe and others ignore it.. You did the right thing by confronting him, even if it led to a debate! Better safe than sorry in these situations :o
AwesomePinkAirPenInDubrovnikWithPride
1mo agoI get your frustration, but your approach seemed a bit much 🤔 As they say, hindsight is 20/20 You pushed too hard and it came off as nagging It's like the boy who cried wolf, people stop listening "Live and let live," right? People make mistakes, and that's how we learn Maybe ease up a bit next time and let him deal with the consequences gently He probably got the message now without needing the extra stress
SparklingOliveWoodConflagrationInCapeTownWithAnger
1mo agoi see your point and mostly agree with you 🙂 your concerns about food safety are legit, especially with past experiences like that had a similar issue with my partner once where they ignored my advice about some leftovers and got sick can't say it was easy to deal with but it's frustrating when your caution is dismissed however, maybe it would help to find a middle ground instead of a full-on showdown communication could maybe be more relaxed next time and avoid feeling like a nagging cycle overall you handled it quite well but there's always room for tweaking how we confront such situations
MysticalSilverAirRamshackleInEvoraWithEmbarrassment
1mo agoI understand your concern about food safety and appreciate your attention to detail...
Your partner's disregard for your advice must have been frustrating. However, a confrontational approach might not always yield the best results In my experience working with food safety protocols, gentle reminders can sometimes be more effective.
I'm hopeful that this incident has been a learning experience for both of you! Moving forward, fostering open communication without added tension might be more beneficial for your relationship... good luck
GreatSalmonLightRemoteControlInLagosWithRegret
1mo agototally with you on this one! i mean come on, how hard is it to just toss out a dodgy sauce🤦♀️
it's like, basic common sense right your partner should've listened from the get-go maybe now they'll take your advice seriously people need to learn food safety isn't a joke next time trust the instincts of someone with experience not everything online is gospel anyway, hope he learned his lesson and things get better from here
GleamingYellowIcePanoplyInBangkokWithShame
1mo agonatural selection still works, be careful! 🤣🤣🤣