A Winnipeg woman got quite a surprise when she bit into a chicken sandwich this week.

Lisa Kennedy purchased pre-packaged sandwich meat from Safeway on Tuesday, March 12. The best before date said April 13, which should have given her lots of time.

But Kennedy said when she prepared a sandwich and took a bite, she got a bitter surprise.

Lisa Kennedy purchased this chicken from Safeway, only to find there was mould growing inside the package. ((Lisa Kennedy))

“So I took another bite, and it was stronger. I said, ‘Nope. This is not right,’” said Kennedy.

When she separated the pieces of chicken, she found green mould and white fuzz.

She hadn’t noticed it when she was preparing the sandwich.

“There isn’t a whole lot of meat in the packages so I didn’t bother separating any of the slices, and I just slapped it on the bread,” said Kennedy.

The prepacked meat is made in the United States, and Kennedy purchased it for just $1.

But she said Safeway shouldn’t have been selling it at all.

“What are the conditions that something like that can grow? It’s not supposed to happen,” said Kennedy.

So Kennedy brought the meat back and got a full refund, plus fresh deli meat.

“They’re going to inform the manufacturer of the other type of meat that that’s what happened,” she said.

Food experts with the University of Manitoba say taking the food back, even if it’s a hassle, is important.

Stores are responsible for informing manufacturers when there are problems with food products.

Consumers who still are unsatisfied can also contact the Canada Food Inspection Agency.

Kennedy said from now on, she’ll double check all of the food she buys in the future.