Dead Lizard Found In String Beans At NJ Store, Shopper Says

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ — A New Providence woman who just moved to the area got a surprising welcome when she says she found a dead lizard mixed in with her string beans she bought from a nearby farmer's market.

Lindsay Clayton says she stopped at Rt. 10 Farmer's Market in Livingston to buy some string beans on Saturday with her boyfriend.

They grabbed a few handfuls from a bin and put them in a clear, plastic bag that she tied. She noted that they thought they sorted thoroughly enough through the string beans.

"We are always careful about making sure the produce is good because there have been a few times when we've gotten rotten produce from there and at the New Providence location," Clayton told Patch.

On Tuesday night, Clayton was cooking dinner with her boyfriend when he poured a few of them into a bowl and noticed something light.

"It was the lizard. It was so nasty and we screamed," Clayton said. "The tail was as long as a string bean!"

The lizard was already dead when the couple made the disgusting discovery. Clayton said she even checked the tied bag to see if it had tried to claw itself out but there were no signs that it had been alive before this.

Clayton called the market and explained what happened and was told a manager would get back to her on Wednesday.

"I didn't want to save it and ended up throwing it out," Clayton said. "I didn't want it in my refrigerator."

Clayton shared a photo of the dead lizard mixed in with her string beans on a community Facebook page with more than 70 people commenting or reacting to it.

"I get that it happens, things like lizards and bugs are always there, it's just not something you are expecting to get with your food," Clayton said.

The franchise chain — run by a corporation called 17 Farmer's Market in East Rutherford — also owns Central Farmer's Market on Central Avenue in New Providence, where she normally shops.

Dennis Kam, the manager of the Livingston location, told Patch that he wasn't aware of the lizard discovery. But he said: "It means it is fresh."

Although Kam said he has never seen a lizard in his produce, he implied that it doesn't mean it is a "bad thing."

He said that sometimes things like this can get into the boxes during delivery. Kam said Clayton can return the string beans and get her money back.

John Yang, manager of the New Providence location, said he doesn't believe the lizard came from the Livingston store. Yang said the string beans are kept in coolers at 35 to 40 degrees and it would be impossible for a lizard to get inside.

"I think it was from her house," Yang said. "All of the boxes are inspected everyday.... that's impossible."

Yang did note that the Livingston store is located in the "mountains" and the lizard could've came in "from outside."

Seventeen Farmer's Market, which is in charge of the franchise locations ,referred all questions to the managers but did add that Clayton could bring back the receipt to get a refund. Produce for the franchise locations comes from Hunts Point, N.Y. However, each store can also get produce from other local sources, according to the corporation.

Clayton said she is probably not going to return to the farmer's market chain because it is "not something you can unsee."

This isn't the first occurrence of a strange discovery in produce. In May, two New Jersey women say they've found worms or bugs in frozen broccoli florets bagged under the ShopRite brand. (See Related: Bugs Found In ShopRite Frozen Broccoli, 2 NJ Women Say)

And another woman found a dead lizard in a bag of pre-cut, pre-cleaned kale purchased at a Trader Joe's in Washington, D.C. in April. (See Related: Woman Finds Lizard In Kale At DC Trader Joe's: Report)

(Image via Lindsay Clayton with permission)

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