Frog in Pepsi can spurs FDA concerns

ORLANDO, Fla. — After finding a 5-inch frog in a can of Diet Pepsi, federal officials inspecting a Pepsi manufacturing plant were concerned that procedures to clean the cans weren't fully tested, according to a newly released report.

The inspection report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says the Orlando plant has had 13 consumer complaints of suspected foreign objects inside cans since 2007, including the July 23 complaint about the frog — initially thought to be a mouse — from an Ormond Beach couple.

Despite that, FDA officials decided the plant passed inspection and didn't find any violations, according to the report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

"In cases where a foreign object is reported to be in a product consumers eat or drink, the FDA is immediately concerned and acts to address the matter," said Tom Gasparoli, a media officer with the FDA. "Our investigation of this case in Orlando is ongoing."

He couldn't comment on the inspection report.

Meanwhile, the consumer who found the frog, Amy Denegri, of Ormond Beach, said she and her husband, Fred, would like an apology.

"We had no intention of suing, but it's more of a matter of how Pepsi handled it and treated us," she said.

Pepsi officials released a statement Tuesday that said: "We have thoroughly examined our production records and remain confident that this did not occur during our manufacturing process."

Fred Denegri had opened the can of Diet Pepsi in July, just as he and his wife were making dinner, and took one swig of the soda, which he found foul-tasting.

They realized something lurked inside the can and thought it was a rodent. Amy Denegri contacted the FDA, which analyzed the can and its contents.

An FDA inspector confirmed it was an amphibian, estimating the frog or toad was nearly 5 inches long, according to a report. The can had not been tampered with and appeared to be a normal aluminum can with an opened tab, the report said.

In August, FDA investigators visited the Orlando plant, according to an inspection report. They reviewed the manufacturing process and interviewed 14 managers and supervisors.

FDA officials also found a consumer-complaint log, listing 13 complaints of foreign objects in cans since 2007. The federal inspectors asked for documents showing how Pepsi handled those complaints, but Pepsi officials didn't have documents to give them, according to the FDA report.

Federal inspectors had concerns about what they found, including questions about whether the plant's air rinser, used to clean empty cans before they are filled with soda, had been tested, the report said.