Coles customer finds spiky surprise in store-bought veg
- Replies 14
When you're preparing a meal, the last thing you expect is to find a potentially harmful foreign object in your food.
However, that's exactly what happened to one Coles customer, who found a ‘spiky weed’ in her bag of baby spinach.
Theresa Sheriff, a resident of Lake Macquarie, was cooking spinach dahl for her family when her husband made the unpleasant discovery.
'While my husband was eating it, he pulled the spiked weed from his mouth,' she told a news source.
'There were no injuries as he immediately knew it was different in texture and said it tasted weird and spiky. But I think if he had tried to swallow it, there may have been a problem,' she added.
The offending weed was found in a bag of baby spinach labelled 'washed and ready to eat'.
The spiky weed was visible in the photos shared by Theresa, showing the sharp thorns protruding from the greenery.
Theresa's immediate concern was for other consumers who might have purchased the same product.
'My daughter and I took photos, and she immediately emailed Coles, and I posted them to the Facebook group as I was concerned it may be in more than one package, and the spines were sharp,' she said.
In response to the incident, a Coles spokesperson confirmed that the supermarket giant is investigating the matter.
'Food safety is paramount at Coles,' they said. 'We work with our growers to eradicate weeds from paddocks before sowing, with regular inspections and removal while crops grow.’
‘Our suppliers take great care when processing vegetables such as spinach and use [various] inspection and removal methods to find weeds that may occasionally get caught up in the harvest.'
Coles confirmed that the incident was isolated, and they are collaborating with their supplier to improve their weed control measures and prevent future occurrences.
However, this is not the first time a spiky surprise has been found in a salad bag at Coles. In 2021, a Sydney woman reported a similar incident.
She recalled at that time, ‘I reached into the bag and got a shock when I felt a very sharp spike from something that's definitely not lettuce.’
More alarmingly, in late 2022, a much deadlier weed known as thornapple or jimsonweed was found in several supermarket salads, leading to over 200 people falling seriously ill.
Thornapple is a poisonous plant, and consuming it can lead to severe symptoms such as high temperatures, a weak or rapid pulse, incoherence or hallucinations, vomiting, breathing problems and convulsions, according to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
Following the incident, an urgent recall was issued for the contaminated spinach sold at Woolworths, Coles, Costco and ALDI.
These incidents highlight the importance of vigilance when it comes to food safety. Even pre-packaged, ready-to-eat products can sometimes contain harmful foreign objects. It's always a good idea to thoroughly check your food before consuming it, even from a trusted brand or supermarket.
Have you ever found something unexpected in your food, members? Share your experiences in the comments below.
However, that's exactly what happened to one Coles customer, who found a ‘spiky weed’ in her bag of baby spinach.
Theresa Sheriff, a resident of Lake Macquarie, was cooking spinach dahl for her family when her husband made the unpleasant discovery.
'While my husband was eating it, he pulled the spiked weed from his mouth,' she told a news source.
'There were no injuries as he immediately knew it was different in texture and said it tasted weird and spiky. But I think if he had tried to swallow it, there may have been a problem,' she added.
A Coles customer found a ‘spiked weed’ in a bag of baby spinach. Credit: Facebook
The offending weed was found in a bag of baby spinach labelled 'washed and ready to eat'.
The spiky weed was visible in the photos shared by Theresa, showing the sharp thorns protruding from the greenery.
Theresa's immediate concern was for other consumers who might have purchased the same product.
'My daughter and I took photos, and she immediately emailed Coles, and I posted them to the Facebook group as I was concerned it may be in more than one package, and the spines were sharp,' she said.
In response to the incident, a Coles spokesperson confirmed that the supermarket giant is investigating the matter.
'Food safety is paramount at Coles,' they said. 'We work with our growers to eradicate weeds from paddocks before sowing, with regular inspections and removal while crops grow.’
‘Our suppliers take great care when processing vegetables such as spinach and use [various] inspection and removal methods to find weeds that may occasionally get caught up in the harvest.'
Coles confirmed that the incident was isolated, and they are collaborating with their supplier to improve their weed control measures and prevent future occurrences.
However, this is not the first time a spiky surprise has been found in a salad bag at Coles. In 2021, a Sydney woman reported a similar incident.
She recalled at that time, ‘I reached into the bag and got a shock when I felt a very sharp spike from something that's definitely not lettuce.’
More alarmingly, in late 2022, a much deadlier weed known as thornapple or jimsonweed was found in several supermarket salads, leading to over 200 people falling seriously ill.
Thornapple is a poisonous plant, and consuming it can lead to severe symptoms such as high temperatures, a weak or rapid pulse, incoherence or hallucinations, vomiting, breathing problems and convulsions, according to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
Following the incident, an urgent recall was issued for the contaminated spinach sold at Woolworths, Coles, Costco and ALDI.
These incidents highlight the importance of vigilance when it comes to food safety. Even pre-packaged, ready-to-eat products can sometimes contain harmful foreign objects. It's always a good idea to thoroughly check your food before consuming it, even from a trusted brand or supermarket.
Have you ever found something unexpected in your food, members? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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I don’t care if it says it’s washed.
)! But she was caught out so thought if she complained to Coles then maybe her husband wouldn’t suspect her and she’d get a year’s supply of baby spinach for free. Or maybe I watch too many True Crime shows. 
I was going to say the same thing but stopped. I love those true crime stories
From now on, why don’t you just skip past my comments and I’ll skip past yours. 
