The Aldi Spring Mix That's Too Buggy For Reddit To Handle
Salad fans know that it's nice to have some form of protein alongside your leafy greens — but not like this. According to a Reddit post made on January 7 on the Aldi subreddit, one shopper found what appeared to be a rogue, deceased dragonfly in a bag of Spring Mix greens sold by the grocery chain. Under the post's title, "Appetite instantly gone," they explained, "I got within a couple bites of being done and found this guy. I use two of these containers per week and never had this before. Ugh." It's safe to say the discovery was an unwelcome surprise.
Many commenters agreed, with one saying, "I'd be grossed out and stop eating it," and another commiserating, "We once found a giant grasshopper in our spring mix." Others, however, were less shocked that an insect would end up in a bag of produce. "[It's] a dragonfly, they bring good luck," one optimistic commenter explained. Similarly, another argued, "Sure it's gross, but produce grows outside in dirt and nature," while yet another commented, "I mean ... it's just a bug. People eat bugs all over the world."
Insects in salad kits are nothing new
In another Aldi salad incident, premixed bags sold by the grocer were linked to a 2020 outbreak of Cyclospora infections that led to a recall, as documented by the FDA. Since produce comes from the Earth, it's fairly standard that, at some point, it will come in contact with dirt and insects (like, for instance, a dragonfly) during the harvesting and packaging process. This may be why many bagged salads boast that they're "triple-washed" or "ready to eat."
In another story reported by The Mirror in 2017, a woman found a large, still-living grasshopper in her Aldi Mixed Leaf Salad. In this instance, the woman saved the insect and the bag so that "she could bring it back to the store to complain."
So, when shopping for produce at Aldi (or really any grocery chain), keep your eyes open and your wits about you. While finding an insect in your bagged salad isn't necessarily an everyday occurrence, it's always good practice to inspect your potential purchases when possible.