Aldi probes dead caterpillar in tomato tin

South Yorkshire shopper Stephanie Harris discovered the deceased insect in a tin of Sweet Harvest tomatoes. Harris complained on Aldi’s Facebook page: “Most people get spiders, snakes etc. I get a caterpillar!”

‘A living breathing leopard gecko’​

Harris jokily requested “a living breathing leopard gecko next”. ​The shopper ended her Facebook post with a plea for a “real live pet”.​

Aldi UK’s Facebook team apologised and promised a member of the team will look into how the tomato tin came to be contaminated with the dead caterpillar. See the full Facebook correspondence in the blue box below.

A spokesman for the discounter retailer told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Aldi insists on the highest standards from our suppliers and we monitor all customer feedback in relation to our products and services.  ​

“We have apologised to the customer and as a gesture of goodwill provided her with a £10 gift voucher.”​

Found a live caterpillar​

Meanwhile, this is not the first time rogue caterpillars have contaminated food products. In September 2013 Tesco apologised to a woman who found a live caterpillar in a bacon and lettuce sandwich, bought from one of its stores in St Leonards, East Sussex.

Three years earlier a consumer found a dehydrated caterpillar​ in a Bird’s Eye chargrilled chicken steak.

Last year, a Waitrose shopper discovered one of the world’s deadliest arachnids – a Brazilian Wandering Spider​ – in a bunch of banannas.

Also last year, a Morrisons’ shopper found a tongue-eating parasite in a portion of sea bass.