Michigan Woman Discovers Shocking, Toxic Surprise In Package Of Grapes From Walmart


One Michigan woman recently got much more than she bargained for after taking a trip to her local Walmart. According to ABC News, Ariel Jackson, 25, and her boyfriend, Michael Frank, 26, purchased a package of grapes from Walmart for a weekend cookout scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6.

However, they found a creepy surprise inside the bag of grapes while unloading groceries and washing the produce they’d purchased. It has been reported that a black widow spider was found crawling inside the bag of grapes. Jackson reportedly “freaked out” after identifying the toxic spider.

“She was screaming about a huge spider, and everyone was like, ‘Calm down, it’s probably nothing,'” Frank, 26, said. “But we took a closer look and lo-and-behold, it’s a black widow. It had the red hourglass-shaped spot on its belly.”

For those who are unaware of how dangerous black widow spiders are, arachnids are commonly known for the female’s distinctive appearance and tendency to devour their mate. The spider’s venom, which is a “neurotoxin that produces pain at the bite area and then spreads to the chest, abdomen, or the entire body,” according to information provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has the potential to paralyze large victims, which means bites can be quite debilitating for humans.

According to ABC-7, venom from black widow spiders is approximately 15 times stronger than the toxins from a rattlesnake bite. Needless to say, Jackson found the creepy crawler quite unsettling. During a recent interview, she expressed concerns for her 1-year-old nephew and what could have happened if the spider had gotten out of the package to roam inside her home.

“My nephew is one. Like if he would have got bit, like if it had got loose in the house, like overnight. Imagine, something could have happened. It’s just, it’s scary,” Jackson said.

Of course, Walmart has certain procedures in place where the return policy is concerned. When Jackson and Frank contacted the local Walmart to complain about the venomous insect they’d found inside their bag, they were asked to return the package of grapes with the spider in it, along with the receipt as proof of purchase. But, considering how dangerous the spider is, they ultimately decided against taking the risk of repackaging the grapes and taking the spider all the way back to the store for a refund.

Walmart has released a statement in regard to the incident, ensuring proper safety protocols are in place for quality control purposes. “Our stores have procedures in place to help ensure products meet our high expectations for fresh, quality food. We take food safety seriously and encourage customers to work with store management so that appropriate measures can be taken to fully understand what may have happened.”

[Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images]

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