A dinner out at a stylish restaurant turned into a nightmare for two friends when something strange appeared in their salad. At first glance, the small black dots looked like harmless chia seeds sprinkled across the lettuce — until one of them started to crawl.

“I froze,” one of the women recalled. “They were tiny, perfectly round, and moving in a strange, synchronized way. That’s when I realized — these weren’t seeds.”

Within seconds, the table was in chaos. The waiter came over, stunned by what he saw. The small black specks were insect eggs, possibly laid by a beetle or mite, and they had started to hatch right there on the plate.

The friends were rushed to the hospital out of fear of potential contamination. Doctors reassured them that they hadn’t ingested any live larvae, but they were given medication as a precaution.

Experts say such cases, while rare, can happen when produce isn’t properly washed or stored, especially with organic greens that come from farms using natural compost. Warm temperatures and moisture can accelerate egg hatching, making an ordinary salad a potential health hazard.

Since the incident, the restaurant has reportedly launched an internal investigation and deep-cleaned its entire kitchen. Health inspectors have also been notified.

The story serves as a disturbing reminder: always inspect and rinse your produce thoroughly, no matter where you eat — because sometimes, even the tiniest speck can hold an unpleasant surprise.