The grocery store is literally the last place we’d go to adopt a new pet. But one woman in Glendale, Wisconsin, unknowingly picked up a pet frog in her triple-washed box of Simple Truth Organic lettuce. And it wasn’t until she went to make a salad for dinner did she notice the little hopper, who was very much alive and itching to free itself.
“My brother looks at [my mother] and goes, ‘Mom, why is there a frog in the salad?'” Karlie Allen recounted to local news station WTMJ-TV on August 16th. She thought her brother was just being funny. But upon investigating, sure enough, there was a critter nestled in the salad mix.
Allen got her phone out and took a video of their discovery. She posted the video to Twitter on August 14th, captioning it, “bon appetit! nothin like salad with a side of live frog.” As of today, August 20th, her video has been viewed over 10,500 times.
“I’m thinking one, how the heck did that get in there, and two, that is absolutely disgusting,” Allen told WTMH-TV. “I just want to know how somebody didn’t notice it or how it even managed to get though the packaging process alive.”
bon appetit! nothin like salad with a side of live frog 🐸 @SimpleTruth4U pic.twitter.com/KG9bPjotZ9
— Karlie Allen (@kkarliea) August 14, 2019
On August 15th, Simple Truth responded to Allen’s tweet and apologized for the…inconvenience. “Yikes” is right.
Hey Karlie, Yikes! We are so sorry that you discovered a live frog in the Simple Truth product. So that we can direct message you and resolve this, please follow us on Twitter. Let us know when you are following us. Thanks!
— SimpleTruth (@SimpleTruth4U) August 15, 2019
As many people shared on Twitter, they wouldn’t be too happy finding a frog lodged in their mixed greens. Understandable.
GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
— Debbie Gallucio (@GallucioDebbie) August 20, 2019
Some people see a silver lining…We’re pissed at this.
That's Protein. Look on the bright side of life.
— Jackie Wright, Esq. (@gottago808) August 18, 2019
But surprisingly, most of the responses on Twitter are in support of the frog. And TBH, we’re also #TeamFrog 100%. It’s just so cute!
I hope the little frog is ok. Poor little guy.
— roguemoon56 (@dragonlady9947) August 19, 2019
To be fair, the frog didn’t mean to get swept up in the produce industry. It just happened!
The fact that our little frog friend was able to survive the journey is pretty impressive. Now this is a Pixar movie we’d like to see.
For those who are concerned about the frog’s fate, Allen and her family did plan on returning the box (critter included) to the Pick ‘n Save from which they bought the mixed greens. However, the frog escaped during the night.
The next morning, Allen found the frog “perched on an outlet by our kitchen counter,” as she told WTMJ-TV. They did end up recapturing it and setting it free outside.
Hey, man. If you want organic produce, you’re going to have to deal with this kind of stuff.
In fact, this is about as fresh as it gets. It’s certified froggy fresh.
Well, that right there is 💯% guaranteed organic freshness! That’s exactly what you might find if you grew it in your own garden. Place the frog outside, wash the lettuce and enjoy your fresh organic salad! Too bad the media has to put the fear mongering spin on it.
— Don Abruzzo (@Papa_Abruzzo) August 18, 2019
And this isn’t the first time a critter has been found in produce. This Twitter user almost served customers a frog-filled salad.
These former college kids kept their salad frog. Sal became a member of the family.
We got one in our bagged salad once in college. We bought him a terrarium and named him “Sal.” He was great!
— Heather J. (@betbull8) August 18, 2019
We’d much rather find a live frog than a dead praying mantis. Those things are straight-up aliens.
I got a large preying mantis inside a Fresh Express spinach salad bag a few years ago. The mantis was bright green, but not alive as he probably couldn't get enough air? All they gave me were 1-2 coupons for 55 cents off their salad, plus a SASE to mail him back to them.
— Amanda P. (@LivingUnited) August 20, 2019
If salad frog sticks around the Allen’s house, they should invite him back in and maybe even set him up with a Twitter account. The platform would go wild.
Now we know — the next time we purchase a box or bag of organic lettuce, we’ll make sure to check for frogs before serving.
