BEETLE MUNCH GIRL, 15 IN pounds 5K PAYOUT.Byline: RAY MANAGH A SCHOOLGIRL who became ill after eating chocolates from a "beetle-infested" packet of Munchies munchies Substance abuse A popular term for the craving for salt-rich and/or high-carbohydrate 'junk food,' associated with use of marijuna, amphetamines, and other recreational drugs. See Junk food. has been awarded pounds 5,000 damages. The Dublin Circuit Civil Court heard Sarah Nugent, of Parkhill West, Tallaght, Dublin, suffered gastritis and vomited for several days after the incident in September 1999. Her counsel, Mr Gavin Mooney, told court president, Mr Justice Esmond Smyth, that Sarah, who is now 17, only noticed the Beetles after eating a number of the sweets. The court heard that solicitors acting for her had forwarded two packets of Munchies which she had bought to the Eastern Health Board's Public Analyst's Laboratory for examination. A public analyst there examined the Munchies and found them to be infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: with Merchant Grain beetles. He said that while the beetles were harmless, their presence would render the sweets not of merchantable Salable; of quality and type ordinarily acceptable among vendors and buyers. An item is deemed merchantable if it is reasonably fit for the ordinary purposes for which such products are manufactured and sold. For example, soap is merchantable if it cleans. quality. Two live beetles were found in one packet and a third in the other. A dead dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). beetle was also found. The analyst's report revealed that the sweets had shown extensive signs of damage due to the beetles feeding on them. Both the sweets and the inside of the foil wrappers were coated with beetle frass frass n. Debris or excrement produced by insects. [German, feed, result of eating, insect damage, from Middle High German vrâz, from Old High German , a fine powdery insect excrement. Mr Mooney said that on discovering the beetle infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. Sarah had an understandable reaction of distress and had vomited numerous times over the following few hours. He said that although Sarah had quickly overcome her gastritis she had since developed eating habits which had caused herself and her family some distress. Mr Mooney said Sarah had stopped eating certain types of food and was now given to carefully examining each mouthful prior to eating. Recommending the court's approval of a pounds 5,157 settlement offer on behalf of Nestle Ireland Ltd, Mr Mooney said Sarah's phobic pho·bic adj. Of, relating to, arising from, or having a phobia. n. One who has a phobia. tendencies had diminished considerably since she suffered the initial shock. CAPTION(S): SHOCK: Sarah |
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