A South American woman had to be rushed to the hospital after consuming a pork rind snack that contained an unexpected and hazardous element – a nail. This peculiar incident brings to light the need for meticulous food safety measures and enhanced consumer awareness.
Celia Tello, a 68-year-old woman from Peru, was enjoying her favorite pork rind snack in February 2024. Much to her dismay, she stumbled upon an unexpected object in her snack, initially mistaking it for a bone. The object, however, turned out to be a nail, which she had inadvertently swallowed.
“I never thought I had swallowed a nail or even a piece of wire,” Tello told Reuters.
As a result of swallowing the nail, Tello started experiencing a sharp pain in her throat, followed by severe sickness and vomiting blood. The pain and discomfort were immediate, indicating the severity of the situation.
Tello was rushed to the hospital where doctors discovered the nail lodged in one of her carotid arteries. These arteries are critical as they carry oxygen and blood to the brain. The nail had pierced one of these arteries, leading to Tello’s grave condition.
Diego Cuipal, the surgeon who treated Tello, explained that a careful dissection had to be carried out to safely remove the nail from her body.
“There was a risk of detaching a clot that could reach the brain,” said Cuipal.
Despite the risks, the surgery was successful and Tello’s life was saved. The affected artery was isolated and repaired by sectioning it and joining a healthy artery with another healthy one.
Following the surgery, Tello was left with a scar on her neck but has since recovered from the ordeal. Her x-ray images showed the nail, which had been protruding into her throat, prompting a sense of relief that the object had been safely removed.
While it is rare for dangerous objects to find their way into food, there have been similar incidents in the past. These instances highlight the importance of rigorous quality control measures in the food industry.
In 2018, a Burger King customer discovered a fingernail in his burger, which he unknowingly consumed. Similarly, in 2019, a patron at a Chipotle outlet in Massachusetts bit into his burrito and encountered a nail, which resulted in a chipped tooth.
