Romaine calm: live frog found in discount supermarket lettuce bag

Lead

A live frog has been found inside a bag of lettuce purchased from a supermarket in Esperance, a remote town in Western Australia, prompting an internal investigation by retailer Woolworths. The discovery was made by a flatmate of Laura Jones and Billie Le Pine, who had bought the lettuce from the store. The frog, later named Greg, was released into a nearby dam, according to the housemates.

Coverage Comparison

The story was reported by two outlets: ABC Australia, the public broadcaster, and The Guardian, a UK-based nonprofit news organization. ABC Australia's coverage is straightforward and factual, focusing on the sequence of events and Woolworths' response. The Guardian, while reporting the same core facts, adopted a humorous and lighthearted tone, describing the incident as "random" and "strange." Both outlets included quotes from Laura Jones and Billie Le Pine, as well as Woolworths' official statement.

Key Claims

• A live frog was found in a bag of lettuce in Western Australia, as reported by both ABC Australia and The Guardian. The discovery was made by a flatmate of Laura Jones and Billie Le Pine at their share house in Esperance.
• The frog was named Greg and released into a local dam. This detail was included in both reports, though ABC Australia noted the frog was released with the lettuce, while The Guardian mentioned the frog swam around in the dam.
• Frog expert Dr Jodi Rowley, cited only by The Guardian, believes the frog is a bell frog, possibly a motorbike frog. This identification has not been independently verified.
• Woolworths is investigating the incident "as a priority," according to both sources. The company has described the event as "isolated" with no other reported cases, a statement carried by ABC Australia.
• The Guardian additionally reported that Woolworths apologized to the customers and provided a replacement item. ABC Australia did not mention this in the available text.
• The bag of lettuce had holes to keep the produce fresh, which allowed the frog to breathe and eat during transit, as noted by Billie Le Pine in ABC Australia's report.

Perspectives

Woolworths emphasized in its statement that it is investigating the incident with suppliers and that its processes include washing and quality checks. The company's response, as quoted by The Guardian, aims to reassure customers that such events are rare.

The housemates, Laura Jones and Billie Le Pine, expressed surprise but also amusement, with Le Pine calling it "the most random thing" he had encountered while opening a bag of lettuce. Both expressed relief that Greg was safely returned to his natural habitat.

Dr Jodi Rowley, a frog expert, suggested the frog could be a bell frog, possibly a motorbike frog, but this identification is preliminary and based on photographs and descriptions.