Asda: Blackburn woman ‘sickened’ by cat food covered in maggots and flies

The 47-year-old said she felt “sickened” after opening the box of cat food and seeing around “200 flies and maggots”.

In photos submitted to the Lancashire Telegraph, you can see the food pouches and cardboard containers covered in critters.

“Maggots and Flies” on Felix Cat Food

Leeanne requested a refund for the ‘As Good as It Looks Doublely Delicious Meat Selection in Jelly’ cat food, but was initially denied.

She said: ‘I was sickened when I first opened the box. I think Asda and Purina need to check their boxes before customers buy them.

“I called customer service but they refused to refund me and wouldn’t let me speak to a manager.

“I will no longer be buying cat food from them and will also check food for human consumption closely in the future.”

Nestlé Purina PetCarePurina, owner of Felix, has apologized to Leeanne.

A spokesperson said: ‘We were very sorry to learn of your readers’ experience with their recent Felix purchase. We strive to ensure that the products our feline friends love always reach them in perfect condition.

“Strict safety and quality procedures during the manufacture and packaging of our pet food, along with the very many checks that take place throughout the production process, are all in place to ensure that our products are perfect when they leave our factories.

“Sometimes, unfortunately, the food inside our heat seal pouches can be exposed to the air from tiny holes in the seal, which is most likely why this type of spoilage has occurred. Sometimes , this can happen if a seal is not completely airtight during packaging, although this is normally detected before the pouches reach pet owners.

Cat food covered in maggots

“Sachets are also transported and stored in a number of different areas via our partners within the supply chain before they hit store shelves – this means we cannot always know for sure how and where the integrity of the seal may have been compromised.

“We have contacted the consumer and will work with her to further investigate this individual case, as well as offer to replace the damaged product.”

READ MORE: Man finds Lidl egg carton ‘chewed by rodent’

Earlier this month, another supermarket, Lidl, made headlines after a man claimed to have found a carton of eggs ‘chewed by a rodent’.

Matt Gartside, from Colne, was shopping at Lidl in Valley Road in the town when he came across the damaged egg carton, which appears to have been chewed through.

Matt raised the issue with members of staff and was subsequently banned from the budget supermarket for his “behaviour towards store colleagues”.

Asda declined to provide an official comment, but said Leeanne’s refund had been processed and apologized for not having already been notified.