A Costa Coffee employee in West Sussex experienced a stomach-churning moment that would put anyone off their lunch, after making a disgusting discovery in a pre-packaged sandwich.
The staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, was going about their normal duties when they noticed something moving inside a sealed sandwich package. To their absolute horror, they discovered a live worm wriggling within the supposedly fresh food item.
The Moment of Discovery
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," the employee recounted. "There was a live worm moving around inside the packaging. It was absolutely disgusting and made me feel physically sick."
The incident occurred at the Costa Coffee branch located in West Sussex, leaving both staff and management deeply concerned about food safety standards.
Company Response and Investigation
Upon discovering the contamination, staff immediately removed the affected product from sale and launched an internal investigation. Costa Coffee has confirmed they're treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
A spokesperson for the coffee chain stated: "We have extremely high standards of food safety and quality and were very concerned to hear about this incident. We are investigating with our supplier to understand how this could have happened."
Food Safety Concerns Raised
This alarming discovery has raised significant questions about food preparation and packaging processes within the supply chain. Food hygiene experts suggest that such incidents, while rare, highlight potential vulnerabilities in quality control measures.
The presence of live insects in pre-packaged food represents a serious breach of food safety protocols that consumers rightly expect from major food retailers.
What Customers Should Know
While Costa Coffee has assured customers that this appears to be an isolated incident, food safety experts recommend that consumers:
- Always check packaging for signs of damage before purchase
- Examine food items visually before consumption
- Report any concerns immediately to staff and relevant authorities
The company has reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest food safety standards and is working to ensure such incidents don't occur in future.
