A woman has sparked outrage online after video emerged of her opening a tub of ice cream at the supermarket, licking it and then putting it back in the freezer.
The eight-second video shows the woman opening up the tub which she had just removed from the freezer, and then with a big smile on her face, is seen licking the top layer.
Encouraged by the man filming her, she then puts it back in the freezer, ready for an unsuspecting customer to purchase.
A woman was seen taking ice cream from the freezer before removing the top to lick it
The video has been viewed more than 8 million times on Twitter and has led to uproar.
Some have suggested it should be a felony to tamper with food and have called for the woman to be arrested.
Other reports on Twitter say the girl who carried out the licking is from San Antonio and that the incident took place in a Walmart in the city. Such reports are so far unconfirmed, however.
Encouraged by her friend, the woman licks the entire surface of a tub of Blue Bell Ice Cream before placing it back into the freezer
The video has gone viral, but it’s not known where the incident took place or when. The company says if anyone tampered with a lid, consumers would likely notice
In response, Blue Bell Creameries ice cream released a statement:
‘We want to thank our consumers for alerting us to the recent food tampering incident. We take this issue very seriously and are currently working with law enforcement, retail partners and social media platforms. This type of incident will not be tolerated.
‘Food safety is a top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers.
‘During production, our half gallons are flipped upside down and sent to a hardening room where the ice cream freezes to the lid creating a natural seal. The lids are frozen tightly to the carton. Any attempt at opening the product should be noticeable. We will continue to monitor this situation.’