Giant pulls soup after report that family found needle
By Chad Umble
Published Jan 30, 2006 13:56
The affected soups are the 19-oz. cans of Progresso Vegetable Classics Minestrone Authentic Recipe soup.
The soup that allegedly contained the needle was purchased Saturday at a Giant Food Store in Wind Gap, Northampton County. Family members said they noticed the slightly rusty needle in one of the bowls as they were preparing supper that night.
Giant spokesman Dennis Hopkins said its stores, including six in Lancaster County, pulled the cans of soup from its shelves over the weekend.
Hopkins said purchased cans of soup can be returned for store credit. The can returned to the Wind Gap store had an expiration date of “7 Nov 07” and a combination of letters and numbers “NV MS-6” and “13.21 2.”
Hopkins said the chain was also increasing its undercover security and had contacted General Mills, maker of Progresso soups, about the incident.
Mary Beth Thorsgaard, a spokeswoman for General Mills, said this morning that the company was cooperating with police in the investigation of the incident.
“We want to assure consumers that this is the only report of this kind in the country,” Thorsgaard said. “Quality and consumer safety are our top priorities.”
Wind Gap police are investigating the weekend incident, which was the fifth report of needles or pins found in food purchased from Lehigh Valley stores in the past two weeks.
It was the second time a Giant Food Store was affected
Giant, owned by the Dutch food company Ahold, operates 122 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
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