A Lidl customer claims that she suffered severe abdominal cramps and chronic diarrhoea after eating a maggot-ridden clementine.
Louise Evans, from Ilchester, in Somerset, bought the crate of clementines on December 13 and tucked into the fruit the next day, the Western Daily Press reports.
Halfway through eating the fruit, however, she claims to have discovered that the second half was 'teeming with maggots' - so many, in fact, that they reportedly spilled out onto her hand.
Evans told the Western Daily Press: 'It was absolutely disgusting. I peeled open the skin - which was not compromised - and found a heaving mass of live maggots. I immediately put the clementine into disinfectant to kill the lavae. Because the skin was unbroken, it can only be an issue of poor pest control.'
A Lidl spokeswoman defended the store's 'thorough procedures'. She said: 'We have thorough procedures in place to ensure that the fresh fruit and vegetables available in our stores are of the highest possible quality for our customers.
'Freshness checks are conducted every two hours to look for products that do not meet the high standards we set. In every store, we have a member of staff who is dedicated to ensuring that these checks take place throughout operating hours.'
She added: 'We can reassure our customers that this is an isolated incident, and that we are currently investigating the matter with the supplier as a matter of urgency. We remain in direct communication with the customer, and sincerely apologise for any distress or upset caused.'
