Customer Finds Worm in Salad at Petah Tikva Restaurant, Chain Responds
A customer who found a live worm in a salad ordered from River Noodles in Petah Tikva received compensation, while the chain claimed the complaint was an attempt at public shaming.
A customer who ordered a meal from the River Noodles branch in Petah Tikva through a delivery app experienced an unpleasant surprise when she found a live worm in her salad. The incident has sparked a discussion about restaurant hygiene and quality control.
The Discovery and Restaurant Response
The customer, identified pseudonymously as Hadar, reported that after eating about half of her sweet potato salad, she noticed movement in the lettuce. "I almost fainted," she recounted, adding that she has since been unable to eat salads. After contacting the restaurant, she was initially offered a 100-NIS compensation, which was later increased to 500 NIS for future purchases.
"I understand that things can happen, but I think restaurants should be much more careful with hygiene," Hadar said.
River Noodles strongly responded to the allegations, stating that the chain maintains the highest sanitary standards and purchases its lettuce from an advanced hydroponic greenhouse to prevent such occurrences. The management suggested that the customer's appeal to the media was an attempt to pressure the business for additional compensation after already accepting a refund and vouchers.
Expert Recommendations for Leafy Greens
Dr. Dana Florentin, a family medicine specialist at Clalit in the Dan-Petah Tikva district, explained that such larvae are nearly transparent, making them difficult to spot among the leaves.
To avoid such incidents, health experts recommend thoroughly washing leafy vegetables leaf by leaf under running water. Soaking greens in a bowl of water with a little vinegar or salt for about ten minutes helps detach insects and larvae effectively.
