A Las Vegas grandmother was shocked to find a dead mouse in a package of organic spinach she had purchased at her local Walmart branch, putting her at risk for a series of life-threatening infections.
Rumiko Bosa-Edwards, 65, was rinsing vegetables in her sink when she saw what she thought was dirt and touched it with a spatula.
Noticing the animal’s red eyes, he realized the infestation was actually a dead mouse.
It’s unclear how the mouse got into the spinach, which is still sold under the WalMart-owned Marketside brand.
The red-eyed mouse sat lifeless in her sink while Mrs. Bosa-Edwards called Walmart to report the incident, but the store did not respond.
Finally, he decided to take his surprise discovery to the staff at his local Walmart, who offered him a refund.
Mrs Bosa-Edwards initially thought the mouse in her spinach was dirt and tried to push it away with a kitchen utensil.
Spinach is still on Walmart shelves and advertised as washed and ready to eat.
Mrs. Bosa-Edwards told the Las Vegas Review Magazine who always washes his vegetables, a habit he said had been instilled in him since childhood.
The lesson came in handy last week when he found the dead mouse hiding in the spinach leaves.
Mice droppings are known to contain a variety of viruses and bacteria that can cause a variety of diseases, from hemorrhagic fever and fatal salmonella poisoning, to leptosperosis and monkeypox.
A Walmart spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority and we are working with our supplier to investigate this alleged incident.”
Ms. Bosa-Edwards said Walmart employees did not respond to her repeated calls and eventually brought the dead mouse back to the store.
Ms. Bosa-Edwards She said the store did not take her contact information and did not contact her since she went to the store. Her spinach is still on the shelves.
She said: “Under the words baby spinach it says ‘WASHED AND READY TO EAT’ which left a bad taste in my mouth.”
Since then, he has disinfected his sink at least three times.
Their experience is not entirely uncommon.
Last year, Sam Hayward, 39, from the United Kingdom, claimed he had already started eating his Chinese takeaway when he allegedly noticed something moving at the bottom of his plate.
Hayward, who runs construction company Hayward’s Building and Contractors, said he initially thought the rodent was a large fungus before noticing a “tail.”
Bosa-Edwards said she is considering suing Walmart.