A Sainsbury’s shopper has hit out at the supermarket giant after receiving “rotten” carrots she “would not feed to a dog”.

Nichola Jarvis, from Margate, says she was disgusted at the state of the kilo of the vegetables which were included in her home delivery yesterday.

Mrs Jarvis argues she would not have selected the 52p bag in-store and that, over time, quality of fresh produce has dropped.

Sainsbury’s today apologised for the inconvenience and admitted the carrots were “not up to our usual high standards”.

Mrs Jarvis said: “I would not even feed them to a dog, they were rank and rotten. They were bendy and the ends were mushy.

“The shopping arrived but it was only when the driver left that I noticed how bad they were.

“They were only 52p, but the fact is this is not the first time it has happened and it is getting worse and worse.

“Every time I get a delivery of fresh stuff it seems to be not as fresh as it used to be.”

Mrs Jarvis says she soon bought better quality carrots at a nearby Morrisons, which was an inconvenience, as she does not drive.

“I will not change from shopping at Sainsbury’s but I will probably not buy carrots from there for a while,” she said.

“I do online shopping to save money and I do not drive.

“All the home delivery stuff has less dates now and I feel the supermarkets are sending stuff out with a short shelf life.

“If you were to see these carrots in the shop they would have a reduced sticker.

“By the time I had peeled them and chopped all the mouldy bits off, I would not have had even close to a kilo of carrots left.

“I think there were two which were usable out of the whole bag of about 20.

“The fresher they are, the more nutritional value they have too.”

The childminder continued: “Last week I got sent a pack of pre-packed carrots as a substitute for swede which were fine but the fresh ones were mouldy.

“They were well below standards.

“I tend to buy loose because it is cheaper but I think I will go to the farm shop for fresh fruit and vegetables now.

“It is almost like they are trying to discourage people to do home shopping.”

Mrs Jarvis has since received a refund for the carrots.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said the store is planning some additional training following the incident.

“Great quality food is at the heart of Sainsbury’s,” the firm said in a statement today.

“We are sorry that this customer’s experience was not up to our usual high standards.

“If customers are not happy with the freshness or quality of their groceries, they are able to return products to our drivers at the doorstep for a full refund or contact our Careline for help.”