Neville Linton, a 63-year-old grandfather, was left shocked and frightened when he discovered a live snake hidden within a bag of broccoli purchased from an Aldi branch on June 2. The incident, which occurred in his home three days later, raised concerns about the potential risks and dangers posed by the unexpected reptilian guest.
Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, initially placed the broccoli in the refrigerator and intended to prepare a meal with it later. However, upon unwrapping the vegetable on his kitchen counter, he was startled to find a small snake nestled near the stem. Afraid of snakes, Linton immediately called for assistance from his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, who confirmed the creature’s identity.
Reacting swiftly to the alarming discovery, Linton’s relatives carefully placed the snake in a plastic container before returning it to the Aldi store where the broccoli had been purchased. The staff at the store, just as taken aback as Linton, reacted with concern upon witnessing the unexpected visitor.
At the Dudley Zoo, a specialist identified the snake as a young ladder snake, which is non-venomous but capable of delivering a painful bite. Donovan Linton, Neville’s 41-year-old son, provided this information. Despite receiving an initial compensation offer from Aldi, Neville Linton expressed dissatisfaction, stating that it did not adequately address the potential risks to his disabled son and vulnerable mother-in-law, both of whom reside with him.
Aldi responded promptly, acknowledging the incident and expressing their apologies to Linton. The supermarket chain assured that their supplier had never encountered such a complaint before and stressed that they have stringent processes in place to prevent such incidents from occurring. Aldi has launched an investigation into the matter to determine how this isolated incident happened and to prevent any recurrence in the future.
Ladder snakes, typically found in Portugal, Spain, southern France, and parts of Italy, are known to favor scrub bushy cover, orchards, vineyards, hedges, and overgrown dry-stone walls. They tend to prefer habitats with stones, boulders, and low shade. While they are not venomous, ladder snakes can become aggressive when threatened and emit a foul odor.
The unexpected presence of the ladder snake in the bag of broccoli highlights the importance of rigorous quality control measures throughout the food supply chain. Consumers are urged to remain vigilant when purchasing and preparing food items, emphasizing the need to thoroughly inspect and wash produce before consumption.
