Corrosion-induced tin and iron release were investigated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and a novel electrochemical sensor. The sensor was used for detecting the corrosion extent of energy drink cans by techniques of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical noise (EN), and a metal release mechanism was proposed. ICP-MS results showed that tin and iron release increased with the storage time while EIS and EN results showed that coating resistance, charge transfer resistance and noise resistance decreased with the storage time, which indicated that the corrosion beneath the organic coating induced metal release. Consequently, a clear and direct relationship was obtained between the ICP-MS and the electrochemical results. Furthermore, the internal surface morphology of the cans was characterized by scanning probe microscopy (SPM). It was concluded that the novel electrochemical sensor that allowed in situ measurement could be used for the evaluation of corrosion extent and metal release in beverage cans in a more economical and rapid way. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.