Giant Pulls Soup From Shelves After Needle Found in Can

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - Giant has pulled some lots of Progresso canned soup from 122 stores in Maryland, Virginia and two other states after someone reported finding a sewing needle in a can of minestrone soup.

The incident was the fourth report of needles or pins found in food purchased at stores in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley in the past two weeks.

Last week, at another Giant store near Bethlehem, a man reported finding a rusty sewing needle in a loaf of bread. Two other incidents were at a King's Supermarket in Bethlehem, in which customers and employees reported finding pins in an onion, packages of ground beef and a ham.

Company spokesman Dennis Hopkins says Giant is pulling soup with a similar lot number from shelves of all its stores as a precaution. Hopkins says the chain also is increasing its undercover security.

Giant is owned by the Dutch food company Ahold and operates 122 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Anyone who bought Progresso Authentic Recipe Minestrone soup at Giant can get a refund at the place of purchase. The can involved in the latest incident had an expiration date of "7 Nov 07" and a combination of letters and numbers "N-V M-S-6" and "13-21-2."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)