Shopper Finds Insect Embedded in Chicken Fillet at Rami Levy Supermarket

A shopper in Kfar Saba discovered a whole insect, which she described as a tick, embedded in a vacuum-sealed package of chicken fillet purchased from a Rami Levy supermarket. The customer had stored the chicken in her freezer for approximately three months before deciding to prepare it for her family, which includes a four-year-old child and an infant. She stated that after using a significant portion of the package, she noticed the insect lodged within a piece of chicken.

The customer, who is pregnant, expressed her disgust and concern, noting that she typically buys "Mehadrin" (kosher-certified with extra supervision) products due to the perceived higher level of oversight. After finding the insect, she discarded the remaining chicken and contacted the supermarket chain.

Rami Levy reportedly directed her to the "Cornish Chen" slaughterhouse, part of the "A-T" group, which produced the chicken. The customer claims that the slaughterhouse initially stated the incident could not be related to their production process. She later received a letter from the A-T group's quality manager, asserting that the insect appeared intact, including its legs, suggesting it may not have been present during freezing. The company stated it had no evidence the insect originated from their factory's production or packaging.

The customer maintains the package was sealed until she opened it with a knife. She has filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Health, categorized as "foreign objects." The Ministry of Health confirmed receipt of the complaint and is investigating. Due to the chicken being pre-packaged at the slaughterhouse, the complaint was forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees slaughterhouses. The Ministry of Health's food service division also plans to inspect the specific supermarket branch and its storage conditions. Neither the A-T group nor Rami Levy provided a comment by the time of reporting.