FRANKLINTON, N.C. — A Franklinton woman says she found insect larvae inside the lids of sealed water bottles.
Susan Samson told WRAL that she bought eight cases of Dasani water bottles the last time a local grocer put them on sale.
When Samson went to open several of the bottles, she found what appeared to be insect larvae on the caps and rims of the unopened bottles.
“A lot of them are right on the tip of the mouthpiece,” she told WRAL. “Some people may wipe it off and drink it, but I am not going to do that!”
Samson contacted Coca-Cola, Dasani’s parent company, about the issue but didn’t get quite the response she was hoping for. According to WRAL, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola said the company was having issues with a distributor and would send a box for her to return the bottles for lab testing.
Instead of receiving a box in the mail, Samson received a letter from the company along with coupons for six packs of Dasani.
“I either want my money back or I just want Dasani without bugs in it,” Samson told WRAL.
In an email to WRAL, Lauren Steele, the senior vice president of Corporate Affairs for Coca-Cola Consolidated said they had determined there was no health safety concern.
Coca-Cola tested two bottles of water Samson found larvae in after she expressed her disappointment in the company she has been a supporter of for the last 10 years.
The company sent the test results to WRAL saying in part:
“The product was produced in three different batches in April, July and August, 2015. Lab analysis showed presence of moth larvae on the outside of one of the bottles – outside, not inside. There is no possibility larvae could have entered the product. The larvae appears to be Indian Meal Moth, a common pest sometimes found in household products like grains, flour, birdseed or dog food typically stored in home pantries, closets or garages.”
Unsatisfied with Coca-Cola’s response, Samson reached out to North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture. Their tests also confirmed that the larvae belong to an Indian Meal Moth.
Food Administrator Anita MacMullan told WRAL that the insects could have gotten into the bottles while the bottles were in storage.
Coca-Cola has since sent Samson a $25 check and coupons for Dasani water.