Shopper Finds Entire Insect Embedded in Chicken Fillet Bought at Rami Levy

A shopper in Kfar Saba, Israel, discovered a "completely disgusting" surprise when preparing chicken schnitzel for her family: an entire insect, which she described as a "tick," embedded within a chicken fillet. Little Brekan purchased a vacuum-sealed package of chicken fillets from a Rami Levy supermarket, which had been stored in her freezer for three months. After preparing half the package, she found the insect with its legs still attached in one of the final pieces.

Brekan, who is pregnant, stated she specifically buys "mehadrin" (high-kosher standard) products for increased supervision and to avoid such incidents. She expressed frustration with the perceived "passing the buck" between the supermarket and the product's manufacturer. Rami Levy directed her to the "A-T" group's Cornish Chen slaughterhouse, the producer of the chicken.

The slaughterhouse denied responsibility, with their quality manager stating in a written response that the insect's intact condition suggested it was not present during the freezing process and that there was no evidence of it originating from their production or packaging. Brekan countered that the package was sealed until she opened it with a knife, ruling out external contamination.

Disturbed by the find, Brekan filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Health, classifying it as "foreign bodies." She reported that her gynecologist viewed the photos and expressed concern about potential harm to her unborn child. The Ministry of Health confirmed it is investigating the complaint and has forwarded it to the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees slaughterhouses. The Ministry of Health's food service will also inspect the Rami Levy branch and its storage conditions. Neither Rami Levy nor the A-T group provided a comment to N12.