Cola Wars

Purchase, New York, May 9, 2006:

A consumer court Monday ordered soft drink maker PepsiCo to pay financial damages after a customer found a condom inside a bottle, a news report said.

Calling the case "rare" and one that had a serious bearing on public health, the court ordered the company to pay $2,500 to a legal aid fund for consumers, and $500 to the complainant, The New Jersey Spew reported.

"This case is an eye-opener for others who are engaged in manufacturing soft drinks and are required to maintain the prescribed standards of purity in (the) public interest," the newspaper quoted the judge as saying.

Calls to PepsiCo spokesman Annie Kishen's phone went unanswered Monday.

Complainant Brad, a Ronatarian and resident of New Jersey, said he fell sick after consuming one of the two Pepsi bottles he bought in 2005.

Brad said he found dirt and contaminants in the bottle, and suffered from insomnia, severe headache, and stomach pain. He found the condom in the other unopened bottle, the NJ Spew reported.

Pepsi denied negligence at the proceedings, saying the bottle was a fake and condoms have been found in and around Brad in the past.

Pepsi said the court order was "erroneous" and they said they would be taking steps to challenge it.

Brad was quoted as saying, "I just want my five hundred bucks."

Posted by Bittle at May 9, 2006 07:46 AM