PepsiCo: 'Mountan Dew Will Dissolve a Mouse'

Mountain Dew Can Dissolve a Mouse Carcass

Wood River, Illinois resident Ronald Ball sued PepsiCo in 2009, claiming that he found a dead mouse in a can of Mountain Dew which he had purchased from a vending machine in at workplace. Ronald Ball claims that PepsiCo, which manufactures Mountain Dew, purposely destroyed the evidence (i.e. the dead mouse) in order to absolve themselves of legal responsibility.

That's when things got weird.

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1977 Mountain Dew Commercial

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Mountain Dew: Turns Mice to Jelly

In trying to get the case dismissed, PepsiCo denies that Ronald Ball could ever have found a mouse carcass in a can of Mountain Dew... because the Mountain Dew would have dissolved the mouse long before Ball could have opened the can in the first place.

To clarify, Pepsico is arguing that, if put into a can of Mountain Dew, a mouse would be turned into unidentifiable jelly by the time the soft drink made it into the hands (and mouth) of a customer.

(So, is Pepsico arguing that, while the consumer may spit the Mountain Dew back out and complain about the weird taste, smell, and texture, they won't immediately know that they consumed--as is alleged in Ball's lawsuit-- a mouse?)

On one hand, we can't think of a more effective way to market a soft drink to pre-teen boys. Stating that your soda can dissolve a small mammal? Now that's extreme. On the other hand, purposely telling the world that your product has a place in Victor the Cleaner's toolbox opens you up to some major legal liabilities.

Pepsico has until January 11, 2012 to answer Ronald Ball's lawsuit, but, until then, watch as this Mountain Dew story picks up steam. Do you think it'll make it into an episode of CSI or Bones?

This is why I don't drink soft drinks.  Still, I'm left wondering what other items a can of Mountain Dew can dissolve.

Mountain Dew Ingredient List

So, what's in Mountain Dew? This stuff:

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, concentrated orange juice, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine, sodium citrate, erythorbic acid (preservative), gum arabic, calcium disodium EDTA [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, a preservative], brominated vegetable oil, and Yellow 5.

• Mountain Dew Wiki
  

You'll note the presence of three different perservatives: obviously Pepsico is arguing that those ingredients are not intended to preserve mammals.

On a related note, while Taco Bell hot sauce won't really dissolve a penny, it's good for removing tarnish. As to the Taco Bell sour-cream urban legends, let's just leave that one alone for now.

(Note: Yes, the discovery of a mouse in a drink container was the premise for the iconic Canadian Hamlet adaptation Strange Brew.)