Whole Foods pulls asparagus water from its shelves

Whole Foods has been in a lot of hot water lately. The American grocery store has been called out for everything from allegedly overcharging customers to mislabeling items, but this time the water tastes a bit different.

When Los Angeles shopper Marielle Wakim spotted a $6 bottle of “Asparagus Water” at her local store, she had to stop and snap a photo. A quick share on Facebook and Instagram, and the photo quickly went viral, causing outrage over the inflated price off three stalks of asparagus in a jar of water.

“Tap water, after all, is free, and an entire bundle of asparagus from Whole Foods costs around $5,” Wakim, an editor for Los Angeles Magazine, said. “In fact, I was half-sure it was a joke.”

Whole Foods Market Senior Media Relations Specialist Liz Burkhart addressed the ‘Asparagus Watergate,’ telling CBS News the grocery store chain does not in fact sell asparagus water and the item was not meant to be on the shelf. The bottles were found only in one store in Brentwood, California.

“It was meant to be water with the essence of vegetables and/or mushrooms (similar to bone broth), which is typically made over a long period of time soaking in water,” Burkhart explained to CBS News. “It was made incorrectly and has since been removed.”