Black widow spider apparently found in grapes from Canadian grocery store
Washing produce regularly means you’re bound to come across some debris and minuscule bugs; however, one Toronto customer recently had the shock of a lifetime when they discovered a black widow spider crawling in their pack of green grapes from President’s Choice.
The TikTok detailing the incident has already amassed nearly 500,000 views in a 24-hour period, with others watching in horror as the eight-legged critter slowly moved its way through the grapes.
@bilkyeats Black Widow Spider in grapes 🕷️ . . . . #toronto #torontotiktok #torontonews #groceries #grocerystore #torontogrocery #torontofood #torontofoodie #blackwindow #torontogrocerystore ♬ original sound – Bilkis Begum
“My manager found this black widow spider yesterday in her green grapes, downtown Toronto. Everyone please look at your produce, wash your produce, this is scary,” the original poster said.
While some respondents in the comments section vowed to never purchase grapes again, others came to the defence of the creepy invader, claiming that black widow spiders regularly crawl their way into produce.
“Happens often,” one person wrote. “My husband works for Loblaws. They had a black widow spider come in with grapes at his store.”
While President’s Choice products are available at a variety of grocery stores around the city, including Loblaws, No Frills, Your Independent Grocer, Fortinos, and Valu-mart, the original poster did not clarify which chain the grapes were purchased from.
“When I worked at a grocery store years ago, it was always the green grapes the black widows come in. It’s a thing [that] happens all the time,” another person chimed in.
Although uncommon, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency notes that consumers have unknowingly brought black widow spiders into their kitchens via imported grapes, as well as scorpions via bananas and imported berries.
Someone in Ontario just found a scorpion in their berries from Metro 🦂😬https://t.co/yy2XYgW8lY #Metro
— blogTO (@blogTO) October 7, 2023
Black widow spiders are distinctive due to their shiny round body, brown or black colour, and two reddish or yellowish triangles forming an hourglass on the underside of their abdomen.
These spiders live in most warm regions of the eastern and central US, North American deserts, and southern Canada.
“The presence of spiders does not damage or poison the grapes. When grapes are harvested, they are carefully examined before being placed into their packaging; however, some spiders may camouflage with the grape vines and escape being found,” the CFIA website reads.
“If you find a black widow spider, scorpion, or blister beetle, promptly kill and carefully dispose of it. Ensure a barrier (such as gloves or a fly swatter) is used between the insect and your skin when killing and disposing of a blister beetle.”
blogTO contacted President’s Choice seeking immediate comment on this incident, but there has been no response as of the time of this article’s publication.