“That’s Bad”: Shopper’s Photo of Maggots on Chicken Shelf Sparks Food Safety Outrage

• A South African shopper posted a shocking photo on 7 September 2026 showing maggots crawling on a refrigerated free-range chicken display shelf
• The image revealed larvae visibly moving between packaged chicken thighs priced up to R236
• South Africans flooded the comments demanding to know which store branch was responsible for the disturbing discovery

A South African shopper raised alarm on X on 7 September 2026 after capturing something deeply unsettling in a grocery store's fresh meat aisle. The photo, posted by @Thatogatsi99, showed maggots crawling visibly across the surface of a refrigerated shelf stocked with packaged free-range chicken thighs, some priced as high as R236.51.

The packaged products were labelled "Free Range Chicken," with labels promoting a diet of grains and fibre and instructions to keep the product refrigerated.

What the worms actually mean

Maggots in a refrigerated meat display point to one of several failures: a breakdown in cold chain management, a punctured or compromised package, or stock that was not rotated and removed before spoilage set in. In a properly functioning fridge case, temperatures are kept below 5°C, which prevents fly eggs from hatching. When larvae are visible and alive, it strongly suggests the meat spent time above that threshold.

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Under South Africa's Regulation R638, which governs food hygiene on premises, displaying or selling meat contaminated with insects or larvae is a criminal offence. The law also requires that perishable food be kept at or below 5°C at all times. Municipal Environmental Health Practitioners have the authority to inspect, seize contaminated stock, and shut down non-compliant premises under the National Health Act.

Mzansi reacts to the chicken discovery

South Africans were quick to respond, ranging from horrified to darkly humorous:

@Missy_emporium said:

"Aaah 😳😳😳 which one?"

@heisalive4all joked:

"Buy free-range chicken and get free-range worms for free."

@ThabeloThononda added:

"Extra protein, ask gym rats; they know."

@Lenard77218 reacted:

"Yoh I'm gonna chunder, that's bad."

@Titusson_Zealot weighed in:

"Frozen pack would never do you like this... this thing of buying frost-free chicken is where the danger is. Chicken gets spoilt fast."

@Goonerjohn2 simply asked:

"What branch?"

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See the X post here.

More on food and cost of living going viral

• Briefly News recently reported on Sol Phenduka's pointed reaction to a shocking report on Nigeria's decades-old dog meat industry.
• In another story, South Africans rallied behind growing calls for SASSA to raise the old age grant to R5,000 a month.
• Six Boston Media House students turned a class assignment into a R6,500 fundraiser for an orphanage in Wendywood.

Source: Briefly News