A shopper at Tesco was left baffled after being asked to show ID for the purchase of a sausage.
The supermarket giants have since explained the reasoning behind the age verification request, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Fufu Fang, 30, said was "stopped at the self-service till" at a Tesco in Fulbourn, near Cambridge, when buying a sausage.
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Tesco has called the incident "a bit of a mix-up" after the man was told he had to be a minimum age of 18 to complete the transaction.
"I was very surprised when I was asked if I was old enough to buy the sausage," the shopper told the Daily Star.
It transpired that Tesco had accidentally listed a 'saucisson sec', a dry-cured pork product, as 'secateurs' - a bladed item requiring potential buyers to prove their age.
The message on the screen at the self-checkout stated he was buying the 'saucisson secateurs', a gardening tool, and the entry was marked "age approval required minimum age 18".
"I did a double-take and thought, 'I hope I've bought the right kind of sausage'," Mr Fang said.
"It was very odd, and the shop assistant had to call the manager over - he thought it was a joke and I thought it was a prank.
"I guess they thought the sausage was a bladed object so they needed to check my age."
Another shopper wrote a review of the product on Tesco's own website, saying: "Not secateurs."
The customer said it was "a shame" they had to produce an age-appropriate ID in order to buy the product.
They added: "Please note Tesco, these are not secateurs.
"Do not attempt to cut your roses with this product, you will fail."
A Tesco spokeswoman told the Star: "It looks like there's been a bit of a mix-up here.
"We're working to resolve this so that customers of all ages can purchase this delicious saucisson."
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