A dental nurse has said he ‘freaked out’ and worried he’d eaten eggs after finding a hungry caterpillar crawling out of his breakfast. Grant Robinson, 31, purchased the BLT sandwich from the Tesco Westbourne, Bournemouth branch while on his way to his dental job.
After having already had one sandwich, Robinson was about to eat another when the live green insect crawled out from the corner of his sandwich and across the bread.
The healthcare worker later released the multi-legged bug into a garden after bringing it to his nurse colleagues, who “gathered around” to see the unexpected visitor. He then threw the sandwich away.
Mr. Robinson told the Bournemouth Echo that he was disappointed with the way Tesco handled the affair, saying: “I contacted Tesco via email and Twitter about it and got responses which I feel lacked sincerity. They apologized and gave me a £5 voucher as a goodwill gesture but that’s not the point”.
When he went back to the shop to speak with the manager directly, he was told that there was not anyone available to discuss the incident with him, while supermarket staff present offered their apologies.
The caterpillar mishap has left him concerned over Tesco’s food hygiene and safety standards, and Mr. Robinson added: “I think Tesco need to really watch their food processing as that could make someone very ill.”
“On Twitter, I saw a lady who found a large moth in a fruit salad, so this isn’t something out of the ordinary.”
“It’s a really bizarre situation and Tesco needs to be more aware and pay attention to detail.”
A Tesco spokesperson responded: “We’re sorry this happened and take every effort to minimise the risk of insects in our lettuce. We offered this customer a full refund for the item and a gesture of goodwill as an apology.”
Back in 2015, a patron at Ed’s Easy Diner in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear said it felt like “something from a nightmare” after finding he was sharing his burger with a large caterpillar.
The unfortunate customer, unlike Mr. Robinson, had taken a lot of food from the meal before he made his grisly discovery. He vowed never to return, despite being offered a full £50 voucher.