Lemon juice bottle object discovery 'stomach-churning'

Steve North said about three-quarters of the juice had been used when his wife Zoie noticed something in the bottle

A couple who found a "stomach-churning" object in a Tesco lemon juice they had almost finished say they want a formal apology.

Steve North, of Stratton-on-the-Fosse, said the online order which included the bottle was placed around September.

Mr North said finding the object "put us off using it ever again".

Tesco said the object was "most likely mould growth caused by improper storage post purchase".

The firm said the "photographs sent show the bottle opened and appears to be empty of juice".

"The storage instructions state 'refrigerate after opening' and we know that once opened and left in ambient/warm conditions, mould can grow in the bottle."

The spokesman added the juice, once opened, can only be kept for a "reduced amount of time".

They added it was likely the juice was out of date.

Warning: Images some people may find distressing are included in this article.

Mr North said his wife Zoie was using the juice for cooking when she "called me into the kitchen and said there's something in this bottle that shouldn't be there".

"She said it looked like a bit of tissue or like a bit of blue roll for cleaning or something.

"We were about three-quarters through it when she noticed something," he added.

Mr North said he had to empty the green tinted bottle and hold it to the light to see what was inside

They took the lid off and emptied the rest of the juice out to find what could be contaminating the bottle.

"It's a green-tinted bottle so I held it up to the strip lighting to see what it was," Mr North said.

He added: "My stomach instantly churned, feeling sick. I looked at my wife and she said 'I don't want to know what it is do I'.

"We didn't eat that evening, we were both feeling quite nauseous and quite sick to be honest."

Mr North said the discovery had put them off lemon juice "for life"

The couple had another bottle in the cupboard ready to use but threw it away.

"I know it's a one-in-a-trillion chance it could happen but it's put us off ever using it again for life," added Mr North.

He said Tesco's "robotic" response when he called to tell them about the incident had left him feeling angry and shocked.

He said he was told to bring the bottle in for a refund.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]