Price Chopper Pulls Grape Brand after Black Widow Spider Discovered
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Price Chopper here took a brand of California black seedless grapes from the produce department of a supermarket in Newington, Conn. last week, following the discovery of a black widow spider in a bag of the fruit that had been bought there.
Price Chopper spokeswoman Mona Golub described the incident as "a natural occurrence, reflective of our ecosystem." The grape brand was removed from the Newington store, and all of its product was also pulled from the retailer's warehouse, she added.
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Golub explained that as people increasingly demand fewer pesticides to be used on their produce, the chance of spiders and other pests appearing in it goes up.
The discoverer of the spider coincidentally worked at the Connecticut Poison Control Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where the arachnid was being kept in a jar. Although a black widow's bite is normally not deadly for people, it's known to be quite painful.
Price Chopper spokeswoman Mona Golub described the incident as "a natural occurrence, reflective of our ecosystem." The grape brand was removed from the Newington store, and all of its product was also pulled from the retailer's warehouse, she added.
(Story continues below.)
Golub explained that as people increasingly demand fewer pesticides to be used on their produce, the chance of spiders and other pests appearing in it goes up.
The discoverer of the spider coincidentally worked at the Connecticut Poison Control Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where the arachnid was being kept in a jar. Although a black widow's bite is normally not deadly for people, it's known to be quite painful.