MIMS, Fla. – A Mims woman planning a lunch of canned ravioli instead got a crunchy mouthful of what she says was a hairy-legged spider tucked into one of the pockets of pasta.
"I spit it up…I screamed, rinsed my mouth out and I must have brushed my teeth till my teeth hurt," said 48-year-old Victoria Jean Harrah, of Mims, who said she found the nasty surprise after warming up a can of Chef Boyardee Mini Ravioli.
Recommended Videos
Now the woman is hoping a representative of U.S. Food and Drug Administration will come out to retrieve the remnants of the meal from her freezer to determine just what was stuffed in the meat-filled pasta.
Harrah also called ConAgra, the food conglomerate that makes produces name-brand goods that include everything from kosher hot dogs to popcorn, to report the disturbing find.
"They told me it was a figment of my imagination. The woman on the phone said they have people who call all the time and that it was just a piece of meat," Harrah said. "But this was a spider. You can see its legs. It's in the middle of the noodle, it's got eyeballs and big hairy legs. Now, I love Chef Boyardee, I thought it was the best ever. I would buy 20 cans a week for 30 years. But will I eat it again? Not in this lifetime."
The popular canned pasta product comes in a variety of flavors and is found on shelves in stores across the country.
Harrah, who still has the receipt for the can she purchased from a local grocery store, said she had just gotten home from the park and made fresh grilled ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches for herself and her fiancé.
"I felt like having a little ravioli so I warmed it up on the stove top. I'm just glad I didn't give it to my grandchildren," Harrah told Local 6 News partner Florida Today.
Harrah also said she already had a fear of spiders and had been bitten once in her 20s by a Brown Recluse. The bite, on her lower back, was painful and required extensive treatment, she said.
"I couldn't sleep at all last night. Every time my hair brushed against me, I jumped," Harrah said. "I'm so afraid."