A catering chef was almost banned from buying two limes - because they could be classed as a weapon.
Chef Marisa Zoccolan, 31, popped into the new Asda supermarket close to her home in Wallsend, North Tyneside, for groceries and a couple of the offending fruits.
But when she tried to pay for them at the self-service checkout, the message 'amount exceeded, authorisation required' flashed up.
An assistant then came over and told her that more than one lime was deemed a weapon - because the citric acid could be squirted in someone's eye.
Asda said the self employed chef had been the victim of a staff member's sense of humour, and a problem with the till's electronic scanner.
She was offered some complimentary limes as compensation.
Marisa, who lives with her partner Jacqui Nicholson and dog Doobie told The Sunday Sun in Newcastle: "I thought she was having a laugh when she came back and told me more than one lime is classed as a weapon.
"I asked her why and she said it was because they contain citric acid which could be squirted in someone's eyes. I've heard of supermarkets banning people from buying things before, but this is just crazy."
A spokeswoman for Asda said: "We know that sometimes health and safety rules can seem a bit plum crazy, but on this occasion it's a case of one of our colleagues indulging their sub-lime sense of humour."