Cooking at home is supposed to be the healthier, more affordable alternative to eating out. But one Florida woman’s attempt at preparing her first steak turned into a nightmare scenario that has her swearing off home cooking for good.
What she discovered sitting on top of her carefully prepared meal sparked a whole lot of questions about food safety.
Worms In Trader Joe’s Steak?
In a viral video with more than 451,000 views, content creator Jil (@liljz123) shows how right before she was about to take her first bite, she allegedly discovered worms on her Trader Joe’s steak.
“Storytime. So I just slaved and cooked steak for the first time because I don’t cook,” Jil explains at the start of the video, her plate visible with rice, vegetables, and steak.
“Literally sweating, having a panic attack because it was, like, burning, and, like, I just go to take a bite, and there’s a worm,” she says. “A worm sitting on top of my steak.”
The video shows what appears to be a beige, worm-like object sitting on top of a chunk of the cooked meat. Jil zooms in on the mystery item, clearly disturbed by what she’s seeing. While the mystery object could be a maggot, it also kinda looks like a piece of rice covered in steak sauce and oil.
“WORMS in my steak from trader joe’s im sueing,” she said in the text overlay.
Her demands?: “Trader Joe’s, I’m gonna need you to send me a $5,000,000 gift card.”
“NEVER ask me why i eat out again,” she said in the caption.
What Happens If You Eat A Maggot?
Accidentally eating maggots or larvae poses several risks, Healthline reported. The most serious is myiasis, an infection that occurs when maggots infest and feed on living tissue. While this typically happens under the skin, the larvae can also settle in the stomach and intestines, causing symptoms like upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.
It’s not necessarily the larvae themselves; it’s what they’ve been exposed to. Maggots and other larvae can become contaminated with dangerous bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, leading to bacterial poisoning.
Medical News Today explains that food poisoning symptoms can appear anywhere from hours to days after consumption, with common signs including fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Severe cases may require hospitalization, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, or those with weakened immune systems.
Can You Sue for Contaminated Food?
According to The Vance Law Firm, grocery stores can be held liable for selling contaminated food under two main legal theories:
Product Liability: This applies when a product sold by the grocery store is defective or contaminated. Customers don’t need to prove the store’s negligence; they just need to demonstrate that the product was dangerous at the time of sale and that this defect caused harm.
Negligence Claims: These require proving that the store failed in its duty of care. For example, if a store knew about a contamination risk but didn’t take adequate steps to prevent it, or if improper storage led to the problem, it could constitute negligence.
But you need to be able to prove actual harm. Finding something gross in your food isn’t enough for a successful lawsuit. You typically need to show that you suffered measurable damages like medical bills, lost wages, or documented illness.
That’s why preserving evidence is crucial. Keep the contaminated food, packaging, and receipts. And seek medical attention if you get sick.
@liljz123 NEVER ask me why i eat out again
Commenters React
Viewers are horrified by Jil’s alleged discover. However, some are confused as to how the worm ended up on top of the meat—and alive.
“Trader Joe’s is for snacks only,” a top comment read.
“Impossible! Those are maggots and they would have died when you cooked the steak. Maggots are found in rice and pantry items. My guess is they came out of the rice onto your steak. I hope TJs doesn’t sue you now lol,” another user speculated.
“Lets normalize suing all these disgusting stores!!!” another wrote.
“No bc I would have thought it was rice,” a commenter added.
BroBible reached out to Jil for comment via TikTok direct message and Instagram direct message and to Trader Joe’s via email.