Marks & Spencer has apologised after a customer said she ate part of a cooked moth from a bag of tortilla chips, describing the experience as like a Bushtucker Trial. Suzanne Bailey, 45, from Liverpool, made the discovery after dishing up a Mexican spread for her family that included a £1.25 bag of Lightly Salted M&S tortilla crisps.
Bailey said she had eaten about a third of the crisps before spotting what she first thought was a burnt tortilla. On closer inspection, she said she found it was a crispy moth that had been cooked with the crisps. Photos show what appears to be the insect lying on a bed of tortilla chips, with a detached leg.
Customer describes finding the moth
Bailey, an operations manager, said she was mortified and feared she may have eaten one of the insect's other legs. She claimed her 13-year-old daughter, Isabella Bailey, threw up after having a mouthful of food. Suzanne said: "It [the moth] hasn't just got in there after it's been made, it's been cooked. I put the tortillas into a separate bowl so we could scoop the mince [meat] up with. I actually thought the moth was a burnt tortilla at first."
She added: "My daughter sat down and she had only eaten one tortilla [when I spotted the moth]. I went to pick the burnt tortilla up and this is when I realised it was a moth. My little girl had a mouthful of food and threw up."
Impact on the family
Suzanne said she was "mortified" and described the moth as "cooked, crispy and fried" with an extensive coating of seasoning. She said: "When I was putting all the tortillas into the bag [to keep as evidence] I spotted all of the moth's legs. I was like, 'how many legs have I eaten?' It's gross and absolutely disgusting. I'm not into bushtucker trials but it feels like I've done an M&S one."
She claimed she was left £30 out of pocket after binning the £10 Mexican dinner and ordering a £20 takeaway for the family that evening. She said she submitted a formal complaint on the M&S website and also called customer support.
The discovery has put Bailey off eating tortilla crisps again, and she said she would not shop at M&S in future. She said: "We haven't been back to shop at M&S. I don't think I could eat tortilla chips again either. We're on holiday currently and we would always get nachos [but we wouldn't now]."
M&S responds
An M&S spokesperson said: "We take matters like this extremely seriously and are working closely with our supplier partner to investigate this fully. We have been in touch with the customer directly to apologise for the inconvenience caused and offer a full refund."
