Aldi shopper issues safety warning after deadly find in bok choy
An Aldi shopper has offered a safety warning to other customers after making a disturbing discovery in her grocery shopping.
Taking to social media, the shopper said the aim of her post was “simply to alert others” after shopping at her local Aldi in the Victorian town of Scoresby.
“When washing my bok choy I bought from Aldi on Stud Road, I found a redback spider under one of the leaves,” she wrote in her post.
“I don’t normally wear rubber gloves when washing my vegetables but I certainly did after finding this spider!”
After spotting the potentially deadly intruder and its “little nest dots on the leaf,” the shopper said she had alerted her local Aldi store but wasn’t seeking a refund.
“I have notified Aldi and I await their response. Sharing for safety purposes, to enable their staff to know they need to take care when handling crates and fresh produce,” she wrote.
She went on to say that she was happy pesticides weren’t used on the produce, but her post was purely to warn others.
'I would never check'
Fellow shoppers said they appreciated her warning, adding there has been a number of cases of redbacks found in fresh produce recently.
“I appreciate the message! I would never think to check for redbacks. I hate spiders,” one person responded.
“There’s been two cases recently where kids have been eating dark grapes and there were redbacks in them but they were from other retail stores. Must be a lot of redbacks around at the moment. Be safe and thanks for the heads up,” cautioned another.
But others said it wasn't "a big deal," just a matter of washing and checking your produce after purchasing them.
“I always wash my vegetables as soon as I get them home. They are grown in a field so you never know what could be in them. I certainly don’t put posts up about it. Just go on with your day,” one person commented.
However others - including the woman who shared the posts - agreed it was important to warn others of the potential deadly find.
“I don’t mind spiders, personally don’t bother me. But a poisonous one, needs people to be aware,” the woman said.
“Sharing for the greater good, not for self-indulgence, and don’t expect a refund or similar. Wouldn’t accept one anyway.”
What to do if this happens to you
Following a separate similar find on an Aldi product recently, an Aldi spokesperson said customers should certainly report it to their local store.
"We strongly encourage customers to bring issues to our attention directly so we can review," the spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia previously.
Shoppers can also return any product they are not satisfied with to the store of purchase for a full refund.
"If you’re not completely satisfied with one of our everyday grocery items or Special Buys, you can return it for a refund or replacement within 60 days," the Aldi website states.
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