By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

When Andrew Pike was packing his lunch last week he discovered an unwanted addition to the menu.

Pike was cleaning grapes from Mexico he purchased at the Yarmouth Sobeys when he made the unusual discovery.

"I noticed all these little spider webs and it didn't clue in to me at first," he said. The sight of a shiny black spider changed that.

"It was crawling on the back of my hand."

Pike quickly flicked the spider off his hand and when it landed on its back there was added reason for concern.

"I saw that red hourglass," he said, referencing the telltale sign of a black widow spider. "I don't know much about spiders but I know that that's a black widow."

Jill Thomas-Myrick, a spokesperson for Sobeys, confirmed that they are investigating the incident but, until the results of testing are back, would not confirm the spider was a black widow.

After Pike's discovery he called 911 and the local Sobeys store. The manager informed him their procedure was for the spider to be returned to the store for testing.

Thomas-Myrick said the store always wants insects, or anything else that shouldn't be in food, returned.

"We want to retrieve the insect so that we can take it to the lab and properly identify the insect itself and work with the supplier or vendor from which we've sourced the product and look at options for possible corrective actions," she said.

If the discovery is dead, Thomas-Myrick said it's as simple as returning it to the store in a sealed package. If it's alive, Thomas-Myrick said the key is containment and safety. She emphasized the importance of keeping the insect (or whatever it is) is a place where it can't get away or touch anyone. They also recommend, if possible, freezing it for 48 hours to ensure whatever is discovered is dead.

While incidents such as this aren't common they are increasing, said Thomas-Myrick. She attributed this to fewer people treating produce with pesticides. When such a discovery is made it is the store's policy to remove the product in question from the shelves and post a notice to customers. They also inform other stores in the area and distributors.

"Customers should be really aware of the importance of washing and handling, in this particular case, grapes," Thomas-Myrick said. "We want to make sure that the message of safety being paramount is and remains our priority."

Pike was unharmed, but it didn't diminish his surprise at what happened.

"We'd heard stories but to have it actually happen was quite a shock."