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A number of Kiwis have been left concerned after claiming a change to a popular KFC item has left a “yucky” and “plastic” taste.
Over the past week, KFC fans have been flooding the fast food franchise’s Facebook page asking why the potato and gravy flavour has suddenly changed.
A handful of disgruntled customers from different parts of the country have complained that the potato and gravy taste “soapy” and like “plastic”, with some alleging the “yucky” “plastic” taste only occurred after KFC changed the containers the product comes in.
“Anyone else’s potato and gravy taste soapy tonight? Just bought from Feilding KFC,” one wrote.
Another customer from the South Island agreed, revealing they had complained and hadn’t received a response in over five days.
“What is wrong with your potato and gravy?” a customer asked, saying it had an offputting smell, making him “suspect it is the new containers” they’re using.
“I made the complaint five days ago and have heard nothing. Even tried the product again, and I am convinced it’s the containers.”
KFC customers across the country have complained about the potato and gravy taste since the fast food chain changed containers. Photo / Supplied
A third also complained: “Hi KFC... noticed that the potato and gravy tub had changed” they said, and asked if the container had something to do with the “disgusting” taste.
A fourth said: “The new containers potato and gravy don’t taste any good” writing that there is a “funny aftertaste like plastic.”
A spokesperson for KFC’s parent company Restaurant Brands confirmed the packaging had changed, but stressed that the contents had not.
“We can confirm our Potato and Gravy recipe has not changed. In line with the new Government regulations, and after extensive quality assurance and in-store testing, we have updated the packaging for our Potato and Gravy to an approved polypropene material that can be recycled.
“This product is used widely across the New Zealand food service industry and is specifically designed for hot food, and we can confirm this is not a food safety issue.”
A KFC employee confirmed to the Herald the company has recently changed containers.
Customers have claimed KFC's potato and gravy has a "chemical" taste to them after changing the containers they come in. Photo / Supplied
Another KFC customer claims the new containers are tainting the flavour of their potato and gravy. Photo / Supplied
A number of KFC customers have complained about a funny taste in the potato and gravy. Photo / Supplied
The complaints about KFC's potato and gravy have come from around the country. Photo / Supplied
Others questioned whether the potato and gravy recipe had changed.
A handful of customers have told the Herald their potato and gravy is a lot runnier.
“The potato and gravy was watered down, would not have been a spoon of potato,” one claimed.
Another told the Herald: “The potato was very runny, I’d say even watered down. The gravy was watery and it tasted completely different.”
The new KFC potato and gravy packaging, October 19, 2022. Photo / Supplied
The complaints come from customers around the country, including Auckland, Thames, Feilding, Greymouth and Blenheim.
