Family finds live frog inside unopened 'triple washed spinach' from supermarket

A Michigan family had an unpleasant surprise when they found a live frog inside an unopened package of spinach they had bought at a supermarket. 

“My daughter was screaming, she was like ‘Oh my God, it’s a frog,’ and I was like, ‘What?'” Amber Worrick told WJBK-TV. “Just thank God I didn’t eat the frog.”

Worrick bought the package of Earthbound Farms Organic Spinach at Meijer supermarket in Southfield, near Detroit. When she picked up the package, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. 

“I didn’t see anything, didn’t feel heavy,” she said. “I didn’t feel anything wiggling.”

When she got home, her daughter spotted the frog. The live frog was alive and moving inside the package of “triple washed spinach,” however, its green color camouflaged it well among the leafy vegetables. 

Michigan family found a live frog in their "Triple Washed" unopened organic spinach package from Meijer supermarket.

The store refunded the purchase and found a new home for the frog. Earthbound Farm, the spinach brand, has apologized. pic.twitter.com/62MkWiTVui

— BoreCure (@CureBore) August 13, 2023

Worrick went back to Meijer immediately and showed them the package with the unwelcome resident. She got a full refund but hopes to get something more for the troublesome experience. 

“On the package, it says three times washed, or something like triple washed,” she said. “I don’t believe that it was washed or else they would have caught a whole live frog.”

The frog was identified as a Pacific tree frog, which is native to California. The frog was relocated to a new home by Meijer workers. It is alive and well, reported Fox 2 Detroit. 

"I didn't want him to die, but I didn't want him in my food," she said.

Earthbound Farms’ parent company, Taylor Farms, apologized for the incident and vowed that it would never happen again. 

Despite being rare, Worrick’s experience is not unique. In July, a grandfather was almost frightened to death after he opened a bag of broccoli he had bought from an Aldi supermarket and found a live snake inside of it. 

The snake was later identified as a ladder snake by a specialist at the Dudley Zoo. Although they are not venomous, ladder snakes can become aggressive when they feel threatened. 

“It was pretty frightening. I'm not good with snakes," Neville Linton said, describing his fear of snakes.