Importers block ‘rotten smell’ detergent batch after complaints
‘Strong, strange chemical smell, like bad orange juice, eggs’ – customers
The importer of a popular laundry detergent has blocked future shipments of a batch of Ariel after customers flagged it for a strong “chemical” and “rotten” smell.
One consumer of the product took to social media after she noticed that the Ariel Colour liquid detergent she bought had a “strong, strange chemical smell”.
Other customers who bought products from the same batch also noticed the smell, with some comparing it to “something rotten” and a smell resembling “bad orange juice”.
The customers had bought the product from different outlets.
A VJ Salamone Marketing Ltd spokesperson confirmed the product, batch Code 60682766H0, was faulty and said the company had blocked any further shipments of the affected batch.
“During our regular and stringent internal controls, we identified a potential quality issue with a very limited quantity of certain Ariel liquid detergent products,” the spokesperson told Times of Malta.
“While the product’s cleaning efficacy is not expected to be impacted, the product characteristics, such as odour, may be suboptimal.”
The importer said the issue is isolated to specific batches, and it is investigating the root cause. The importer did not say how many items were affected.