CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A local man finds what looks like mouse in his hotdog bun, but the company that made the bread has another explanation. 

Arnold’s Bread claims it is dough or "pan accumulation."

But North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture has launched an investigation and asked Florida to inspect the factory where the buns were baked.

“Everyone thinks this is a mouse except you.” That's what Bruce Van Dyne told the Arnold's Master Baker who inspected the hotdog buns he believes have a mouse baked into the side of them.

“He took it apart and inspected it with his hands, and after five minutes he said, 'In my expert opinion, this is not a rodent,'” Van Dyne told NewsChannel 36.

Van Dyne says the two company executives who saw it seemed to have a different reaction.

“When I brought it out and I opened the bag they kind of did a double take like everyone does, like wow.”

Now Van Dyne is the one saying "wow" because the company has issued a statement saying "upon physical examination" they believe it's "hardened dough also called 'pan accumulation.'"

"Wow, that is with the eyes and the ears and the feet curled up underneath him and the tail. I find that incredible," Van Dyne said.

The company has sent it to be tested at a lab to be sure and that has the North Carolina state Department of Agriculture frustrated.

Joe Reardon is the director of Consumer Services for Food and Drug Protection and said, “In most situations we like to get our hands on those things so we can do our own independent evaluation of it.”

He says after seeing the NewsChannel 36 video he's launching an investigation here and has asked for one at the Florida plant where the hotdog buns came from.

“This is obviously interesting to us,” Reardon said.

The chief health inspector in Florida told NewsChannel 36 that businesses rarely fail inspections, but Arnold's Bakery failed twice -- in April and on their re-inspection in May.

Some of the violations: One report shows there was evidence of the presence of insects or rodents, there were bugs in a mixer, and the conveyor built where the dough is baked was held together with duct tape.

Van Dyne says even the bread company executives at his house admitted something wasn't right.

"What I think can be clearly agreed -- there was some contaminant to the baking process. Everyone shook their head yes," he said.

Reardon says he's seen plenty of dough accumulation in 30 years but never like this.

“Not quite like this! This is quite interesting to us," he said.

The bread company says lab tests will come back early next week.

Van Dyne bought the buns at BJ’s in Concord. They have pulled all Arnold's products from their shelves in three states and suspended all deliveries from the factory where these buns were made.

After sending the bun for inspection, Arnold's released this statement: "Arnold Bakers is committed to providing fresh quality breads to consumers. We sincerely apologize to our consumer in Charlotte, North Carolina who purchased a hot dog roll package containing a questionable substance. We understand and regret the resulting consumer concern stemming from an instance of pan accumulation, a deposit of hardened dough. An independent facility, Strasburger and Siegel, Inc. Food Testing Laboratory, has released a final report today indicating the following:

'1. The extraneous matter was conclusively identified as product build-up.

2. The gray streak on the roll appeared to be the result of this product build-up having contacted the side (of the pan).

3. There was no evidence hairs, excreta, stains, etc. of rodent contamination on or in the rolls or the submitted extraneous matter.'"