Oxford Woman Sues After Finding Dead Mice in AriZona Drink
Oxford, MS – A shocking and gross incident has led to a lawsuit against the makers of AriZona beverages after a woman discovered two dead mice in one of their canned drinks. This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of the products being sold and the quality control measures in place.
Unsettling Discovery
On May 1, Shannon Sellers, who was living in Oxford at the time, opened a can of AriZona Arnold Palmer Lite during a departmental meeting at work. As she started to drink the tea, she felt that the weight of the can was unusually heavy. This prompted her to take a closer look.
“I realized that the weight of the can felt weird even though I was fairly sure I had finished the drink,” Sellers explained. “I kept tilting it up and trying to drink the remaining tea out of it, but nothing was coming out.”
As she inspected the can further, she was horrified to find a rodent’s paw emerging from the opening. “I became horrified and nauseated before running to the restroom to vomit,” she said. The shock from the experience led her to rush to a doctor, where it was confirmed that there were indeed two dead mice inside the can.
Impact on Health and Daily Life
The aftermath of this incident took a significant toll on Sellers’ mental health. “I ended up taking the next two days off of work because I was struggling so significantly with nausea and anxiety,” she stated. She described feeling disgusted and showed reluctance to eat or drink anything for several days out of fear of further contamination.
As someone who had once enjoyed AriZona beverages, her view has dramatically changed. “I just felt so disgusted and struggled to eat or drink for several days because I was so terrified of consuming something else that was tainted,” she said.
Legal Action
In January 2024, Sellers filed a lawsuit against the drink’s manufacturer, US Beverage Packers, LLC, based in New Jersey. Her claims revolve around allegations of negligence, product liability, and breach of implied and express warranties. The case has been submitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in Oxford.
During the legal process, evidence revealed that Sellers is not the only consumer who has faced a similar scary experience. US Beverages provided 79 pages of consumer complaints regarding rodents found in their beverages. These complaints have emerged from various regions, including the Eastern United States, the Midwest, and the South.
Lasting Effects
Even after the incident, Sellers struggles with anxiety when consuming beverages. “Even now, more than a year later, I still struggle to eat or drink any of the foods I had the day I drank the contaminated tea,” she shared. The traumatic experience has left her living in fear of finding something dead in a sealed container.
Sellers’ story is a reminder of the importance of food safety and quality control in the manufacturing process. As the case unfolds in court, both her and others are left questioning how such a troubling incident could occur and what steps will be taken to prevent it from happening again.
This incident sheds light on consumers’ rights and raises awareness about the need for stringent checks and balances in beverage production. Consumers deserve to feel safe when enjoying their drinks, and it will be interesting to see how this case develops in the coming months.
Author: STAFF HERE OXFORD WRITER
The OXFORD STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREOxford.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Oxford, Lafayette County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Oxford Film Festival, Double Decker Arts Festival, and University of Mississippi football games. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and the University of Mississippi, plus leading businesses in education and retail that power the local economy such as Ole Miss Athletics and Square Books. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Mississippi's dynamic landscape.
