A Melbourne family claims to have found a dead lizard inside a can of beans purchased from their local supermarket.

Harrison Razzi and his family were preparing one of their favourite meals when they made the horrifying discovery on the weekend.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Family finds lizard in canned beans, sparks investigation.

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Razzi said the family was making minestrone to “have a good food, a good dinner”.

But when he opened a can of Carmelina’s cannellini beans, Razzi said he found a small lizard inside.

“I was looking in the can of beans and found a lizard, a baby lizard in there,” he said.

“My mum was crying, my sister was screaming.”

Razzi said the sight was “horrifying” and it looked like the lizard had been fermented in the can of beans.

The importer of the beans, Leo’s Imports, told 7NEWS it “takes all consumer complaints seriously and is committed to upholding the highest standards of product quality and safety”.

However it added: “We are unable to substantiate the claim which raises questions regarding its credibility and intent.”

The company says it has committed to a full and proper investigation.

According to the product’s packaging, the beans come from Italy.

It is not the first time an animal has made its way into a tinned product.

Last year a South Australian woman claimed she found the remains of rat in a Coles brand can of red kidney beans.

Melbourne University food scientist Senaka Ranadheera said it was common for amphibians to be found in fresh produce.

“They have previously found even birds or small mammals like mice,” he said.

“We need to further improve these food safety management systems.”

Razzi said his family has been buying the same brand of Italian beans for years without issue.

But he said they are not in a rush to buy another can and attempt to make minestrone again.

“Maybe in the near future but not anytime soon,” he said.