From a live scorpion found in a bunch of bananas to a severed lizard’s head served up in a kale salad, we take a horrified peep at the 10 most disgusting things ever found in food.
10. Scorpion Found in Bananas
A Sales assistant at a supermarket in St Stephen, Cornwall was shocked to discover a 3 inch long scorpion in a bag of bananas. The live scorpion was found by Angela Parren who spotted the stow-away while stocking the shelves. The scorpion managed to survive the trip from Costa Rica all the way to Cornwall, UK. Co-workers initially called the police and the RSPCA who suggested they contact the local zoo. The zookeepers identified the beast as a black edged scorpion native to parts of South America. Black edged scorpions are not considered deadly to humans but the sting is said to be very painful.
The scorpion, lucky to survive its epic journey, was given a new home at the zoo.
9. Glove Baked Into a Loaf of Bread
A woman from Northern Ireland discovered shreds of hessian in her bread after biting into a slice of toast. The material was later identified to be a glove that had been accidentally baked into the loaf. After reporting the matter to the local council the manufacturer, Premier Foods was fined 750 pounds.
A spokesman for the company said: ‘We go to great lengths to assure the quality of our great British brands but on this isolated occasion we have fallen short of our usual high standards and apologise for any distress caused to the customer.’
8. Tarantula Found in Bananas
In 2013, a shopper found a tarantula clinging to a bunch of bananas at his local supermarket. 42 year old Sydenham, UK, resident Mark Drinkwater was shopping for a few items when he made his way to the fruit and vegetable section to pick up some bananas.
‘I started to pick them apart and then I realised there was a tarantula hanging from the side of the bananas.” Drinkwater told reports, ‘It was the size of the palm of my hand. It was hairy. It was scary enough. I shook the banana and the tarantula fell back into the box.”
Staff managed to catch the tarantula thought to have stowed-away in a shipment of bananas from Colombia. They placed it in a plastic container and alerted the British Arachnological Society (BAS) who advised them on how to dispose of the beast.
7. Rat Found in a Tin of Baked Beans
In 2010, a cook opened a can of baked beans to discover a rat buried at the bottom. It was thought the rodent climbed into the tin at the factory and was sealed inside during the canning process. Luckily the rat was discovered before being served up to guests at a catered function. The fact that a rat could climb into a tin of baked beans prior to sealing was described by the public analyst heading the enquiry as highlighting “severe failings somewhere in the food production process.” Baked bean manufacturers Heinz and Premier Foods both issued statements denying their involvement in the incident.
6. Live Lizard Found in a Bag of Salad
In 2009, a restaurant manager at a cafe at Scotland’s National Trust discovered a lizard in a bag of salad. David Neil opened the bag of rocket imported from Israel when the 8 inch reptile climbed out. The lizard, nicknamed Rocky was identified by experts as a Lebanon lizard.
The National Trust for Scotland’s nature expert, Lindsay Mackinlay, was delighted that Rocky had survived his journey saying “We suspect he would have survived by slowing down his metabolism and going into a state of hibernation.”
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