Do you remember the "disgusting" blob that Fred DeNegri's wife says she poured out of his Diet Pepsi can?The FDA says it was probably a gutted frog or toad.
He emptied out the can down a sink but something heavy remained inside. His wife took over the action and shook the can over a paper plate until something resembling "pink linguine" slid out, followed by "dark stuff," Amy DeNegri said.
Fred DeNegris took out the camera to snap a few pictures before calling poison control and the FDA, which showed up the next day to examine the can and collect it for lab testing.
The couple received the happy news in a completed report from the Food and Drug Administration, which concluded the "pink linguine" stuff appeared to be a frog or a toad.
"The animal was lacking internal organs normally found in the abdominal and thoracic cavity," the report said.
Pepsi says the FDA results "affirmed" the company's confidence "in the quality of our products and the integrity of our manufacturing system," according to spokesman Jeff Dahncke.
"The speed of our production lines and the rigor of our quality control systems make it virtually impossible for this type of thing to happen in a production environment. In fact, there never has been even a single instance when a claim of this nature has been traced back to a manufacturing issue."
Skip over this content "The FDA conducted a thorough inspection of our Orlando facility and found no cause for concern. In this case, the FDA simply was unable to determine when or how the specimen entered the package." When asked if Pepsi believed it was not responsible for the animal getting into the can, Dahncke said, "We have addressed the facts of the investigation and stated our position. It's not appropriate for us to comment beyond that."
But the DeNegris say they're hopping mad over Pepsi's handling of the matter.
Amy DeNegri said she hasn't heard from Pepsi since the day after the incident occurred, when she spoke with someone over the phone. At first, the woman was apologetic, but DeNegri says her attitude changed after she told her that the FDA had taken the can for testing.
"She asked for my pictures, I sent them and never heard back," she said.
The DeNegris's are seeking legal advice to examine their options.
"I want to see Pepsi fess up to it and compensate my husband for the negative publicity they have caused," she said. "I'm easy, but they're the ones that are making it hard."
