On 10 March 2015, Maria Layton posted a disturbing image on Tesco's Facebook page showing what she identified as a Brazilian wandering spider egg cocoon she found on one of the bananas she had purchased from one of the chain's stores:
According to the Telegraph, the eggs in the cocoon started hatching shortly after Layton discovered them, whereupon the 43-year-old mother of two sealed the spider-infested bananas in a container and placed them in her freezer. She maintained that the arachnids were Brazilian wandering spiders ("the most poisonous in the world") after conducting a Google search and called Tesco to complain about the potentially deadly bananas she had purchased.
When she received little help from customer service, she posted the above-displayed image on Facebook along with a message urging Tesco to remedy the problem:
Although Tesco attempted to resolve the issue, the company did not send anyone to Layton's residence to take care of the spiders:
The Brazilian wandering spider was named the world's most venomous spider by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010. Although the spider's bite can be deadly, its venom is currently being studied for use in erectile dysfunction medication.
Last updated: 12 March 2015