While tucking into some delicious blueberries, this shopper noticed something unusual.
The Lidl Ireland customer spotted the letters ‘ABS’ neatly etched onto one of the berries, leading them to post online looking for answers.
Confused, they asked if users on the Reddit Ireland forum knew what the message could mean. And while replies ranged from jokes to madcap theories, it seems the code has been cracked.
In response to the original post asking what the abbreviation stood for, one Redditor quipped: ‘Antilock break system. Not entirely sure why you’d need it on a blueberry though. Maybe to stop them rolling off your spoon?’
Others suggested ABS may refer to ‘Automatic Berry System’, ‘Anti Blackberry Society’, or ‘Another Berry Scanned,’ but the real answer isn’t quite as amusing.
An in-the-know commenter explained that manufacturers use a laser printer to mark each plastic punnet with a unique code.
In this instance, the serial number – which helps stores keep track of batches and sell-by dates – seems to have transferred to a blueberry through a hole in the packaging, making it appear as though it was engraved.
‘It’s done with air compression or something so it’s delicate,’ said the Redditor.
‘CO2 etching seems to be gentle enough to not harm the surface of the blueberry. So I’ve learned something new! Hope you have too.’
‘Ah so it’s not the blueberries rock hard abs’, wrote another user. ‘So much for my imaginary utopia with technologically advanced blueberries.’
It makes a change from the usual fruit and veg bug discoveries, like when an Edinburgh mum peeled a Waitrose banana to reveal hundreds of tiny spiders.
Similarly, people often spot faces in their groceries, from Minion eyes in ice cream to a friendly smile in a fried onion.
If you want a real mystery in the produce aisle though, check out the supermarket code, which uses pineapples and peaches to signal your relationship status to single shoppers.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Lidl Ireland for comment.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article