Unwelcome surprise in my grapes

candycow

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post as is both a vent and needing advice. I went to M&S yesterday to buy a valentines meal, and picked up some grapes while I was there. I was eating the grapes, and looked down and found a spider's nest in the bunch, complete with eggs. I was completely freaked out as I am terrified of spiders, and when I was cooking and eating the meal later, I kept picturing it and it ruined the food for me. I emailed M&S and they replied asking me to return the grapes to the store for a refund, where's the customer services there?! It cost me the best part of a fiver to get there and get parked yesterday, plus I spent £35 on a meal that was ruined for me, I'm not going to do that again just to get a £2.50 refund!

So, that was my rant, question now. They say they want me to return them for their supplier to take a look at, bearing in mind the grapes come from Namibia, and so the spider could be any species, what do I need to do with them really? One thing I can't do is touch the eggs, I feel sick they are even in my house. Do I need to inform anyone, environmental health or anything? If M&S don't offer me something more than a simple refund on that item, I don't intend to make a trip there, is it ok to just put them in my rubbish? Are there any implications if the eggs were to hatch?

TIA

geri1965_2

Well, if they hatch you will get a load of baby spiders all over the place.

candycow

I know, I am very freaked out about that and have packaged it up securely, but once it's in the bin lorry, I'm not sure the packaging will stand up to that

shaun_from_Africa

To be honest, insects and other beasties in food is extremely common and the only way to totally prevent it would involve every single item or bunch of fruit or veg. The cost of doing this would make the stuff so expensive that most people either couldn't or wouldn't buy it.

If you are woried about the eggs hatching, either stick the grapes in the fridge or freezer, or alternatively, I suppose a few seconds in the microwave would have the same effect. (But by nuking them, there is the remote possibility that you end up with radioactive mutant spiders!)

Valli

Did you not wash the grapes before eating them then?

candycow

Will I turn in to spider woman if they bite me then do you think? I don't want to hear common, please tell me this will never happen again!! ;-)

candycow

Valli wrote: »

Did you not wash the grapes before eating them then?

I gave them a rinse, but in the punnet, it was tucked too far in, and was sticky, so that didn't help

Valli

No; I will not lie. Anything you buy could have been crawled over or have provided a home for things you (and I) would rather not know about.

At least you SAW the things...

now, in the same family (ie as spiders) there are CHEESE MITES.

And who washes cheese before they eat it?

I am thankful that the things are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

maninthestreet

so you found a spider's nest in your grapes, and then come onto the WEB to complain???

candycow

maninthestreet wrote: »

so you found a spider's nest in your grapes, and then come onto the WEB to complain???

Oh the irony, right?! :-)

Gavin83

What was you hoping for from M&S?