A supermarket says it was forced to destroy tens of thousands of pounds worth of food after a woman coughed on it.
The unhygienic incident unfolded in a Gerrity's Supermarket in Hanover Township, New Jersey on Wednesday.
In what the co-owner of the chain Joe Saula described as a "very twisted prank", the woman entered the store and coughed on a selection of fresh goods.
Mr Saula said: "While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers.
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"We had no choice but to throw out all product she came in contact with.
"Working closely with the Hanover Township health inspector, we identified every area that she was in, we disposed of the product and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected everything."
As well as being an anti-social act in a time when fears of the spread of coronavirus are at very high levels in the US, it has cost the store a substantial amount.
"Although we have not yet quantified the total loss, we estimate the value to be well over $35,000 (£30,000)," Mr Saula continued.
"We are checking to see if our insurance company will cover it, but even if they do, our rates will surely go up next year.
"I am also absolutely sick to my stomach about the loss of food. While it is always a shame when food is wasted, in these times when so many people are worried about the security of our food supply, it is even more disturbing."
Mr Saula was told by the District Attorney's Office that it would be pursuing charges against the woman.
He added: "In addition, while we do not believe the woman is truly infected, they will make every effort to see that she is tested.
"The only silver lining to this travesty is that it gave us the unfortunate opportunity to test our protocols and demonstrate how seriously we take your safety.
"At one point, we had over 15 employees involved in the disposal and clean up."
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