A mother recently made a shocking discovery when she found more than a hundred maggots in a tin of tuna purchased for her toddler's lunch. Bethany Bryson from Edinburgh bought a John West multi-pack from Asda for £3.98 on May 23, and upon returning home, she planned to prepare a tuna and sweetcorn baguette for her one-year-old son, Hudson Gray. However, as she opened the box, three live maggots "flew" at her, prompting a disturbing revelation—an estimated hundred maggots swimming in the tin she had removed.
“I was in shock and disbelief,” Bryson recalled, describing her horror as she realised the implications of her find. The incident led to an overwhelming emotional response, leaving her unable to eat for the rest of the day. “I wanted to jump in a shower with bleach because I felt disgusting,” she added, marking the extent of her distress.
The tuna's smell was equally unsettling for Bryson: “Tuna doesn’t smell nice at the best of times, but this didn’t even smell like off fish…it was potent. It was disgusting.” Following the incident, she contacted Asda, where staff promptly initiated a response by removing the affected products from their shelves. They asked her to return the tin so that it could be examined for quality control purposes. The store offered her a £20 voucher to mitigate the inconvenience, but Bryson felt this was insufficient, particularly in light of potential health risks for her young son.
“I do not want my little boy getting sick from that… it’s horrible,” she expressed, highlighting the dangers of such contamination, especially for children who often explore their environment close to the floor. Bryson's concerns were echoed by John West, who subsequently issued an apology and provided her with a £10 voucher, while stating that the safety and quality of their products are their top priorities. A spokesperson explained that they believed the tin had likely been compromised during transit, which allowed for environmental contamination.
The incident bears similarity to a troubling trend across various food products in the UK, where consumers have found maggots in sealed cans. Last year, a mother from Aberdare, Wales, reported finding maggots in a tin of Heinz spaghetti, prompting an investigation from the company, which suggested the product might have been damaged after production. In another case, a customer in Havant discovered maggots in tins of spaghetti hoops from Aldi, leading the retailer to swiftly remove affected products from their shelves.
Asda and John West have both emphasised that such occurrences are rare and have reaffirmed their commitment to rigorous quality control. An Asda spokesperson confirmed that they hadn't received similar complaints from other customers regarding this specific batch of tuna, underlining that a thorough investigation is underway.
Consumers continue to express concern over food safety issues, particularly as reports of contaminated products seem to surface more frequently. The psychological impact of these experiences often leaves lasting impressions, with customers feeling traumatized by the prospect of feeding unsafe food to their families.
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Source: Noah Wire Services