Evil face sours sweet treat

A woman seeking a late-night snack was shocked to find a demonic face carved into one of her tinned pears.

Wendy McMahon says she opened the tin of Budget-brand pears only to see a demon's face staring back from one of the fruits.

"I thought 'oh my God, is that a face?' ... it really kind of shocked me," she told the Southland Times.

Ms McMahon, of Otatara, near Invercargill, called the number of the helpline on the side of the tin, left a message explaining her find, and then posted a photo on the internet.

The pear was then checked by manufacturers, who offered her a $30 voucher despite doubting her story.

"I said that wasn't good enough, then [she] got nasty - she said 'you're just after money aren't you?' - I asked her to send the pear back."

Supermarket chain Foodstuffs apologised to Mrs McMahon and said an investigation into how the face had come to be on the pear was under way.

"Our supplier has advised us that ... pears are peeled, cored and halved by machine. The only time a person could have access to the product would be when the halves are inspected for defects," Foodstuffs said.

- NZPA