Stinging surprise found in food

EVERY shopper likes a bargain.

But Susanne Tripp got more than expected after she tucked into a microwave meal to find a WASP as a hidden ingredient.

The added extra – which wasn't advertised on the packet – was all the more unpleasant as the 42-year-old has a phobia about stingers.

Her husband, Mark, 41, of Rushmere St Andrew, said: "My wife was absolutely horrified. She is frightened of wasps and found a dead one in amongst the pasta."

Susanne had returned from work at lunchtime to enjoy Chicken and Broccoli with Rigatoni Pasta in the Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself range– only to discover the grim extra.

"I thought it was pretty ghastly," said Mr Tripp, who luckily escaped the experience.

"My wife put it in her mouth and felt an unpleasant texture and thought it was a hardened piece of broccoli. I heard this screeching and yelling and it was a wasp.

"It was horrible. She was really shocked. I feel angry about this more than anything else.

"The thing is it isn't even the season of wasps. It hasn't been for about four months.

"They have a quality control system. It is people's incompetence to let something like this through."

The pair got in contact with the customer care line on the packet who agreed to refund the value of the meal and gave them £10 worth of points on their reward card.

"I just think this is scant consolation for the emotional distress suffered," said Mr Tripp, about the food bought from the Warren Heath store. "Plus considering my wife has a phobia about it as well."

"It hasn't put her off ready-made meals in general. But she won't be having this again. We have about eight meals which we will never be able to touch again."

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "We take these matters extremely seriously and are co-operating with the local authority investigation."