While small punctures in a pouch could go unnoticed, fruit and vegetable purees in glass jars were likelier to present with a broken seal or other obvious signal of contamination. Photograph shows mold discovered in an Aldi baby food pouch. Alongside three photographs of mold in a pouch of Simply Natural baby food, the screenshot of an unspecified post read: Well I thought it would never happen to me BUT……no more pouches for Jade! Although it’s rare, it is possible for food mold to grow inside containers of preservative-free juice drinks if the pouch is compromised or punctured in any way on its journey from our facilities to your grocery stores. It was a sealed well in date pouch so opened it and started feeding him. If a customer has any concerns about this product, we encourage them to visit their local Springfield ALDI store and we’ll gladly refund the purchase price of the Little Journey Organic Food Puree pouches.”. Claim: Photograph shows mold discovered in an Aldi baby food pouch. In 2014, a similarly viral claim involved mold in GoGo Squeeze applesauce, a complaint that arose about Mott’s in March 2017. It's really not hard to feed babies normal food. Did James Woods Play Rudy Giuliani in a Movie? What's worse is these pouches cost a fortune! A baby airport security officer checks a baby traveller’s bag, inspects the food pouches inside and sends him on his way. You see toddlers everywhere, squeezing them into their mouths.”. That’s disgusting,” Kate told Mamamia. "It is most likely that any mould that has occurred would be due to damage to the pouch within the supply chain to the consumer. But more than the experience itself, what shocked Kate most was that several weeks later she saw an animated television commercial for a new range of transparent Heinz for Baby food pouches - part of the brand's ‘Clearly Honest Food’ campaign. * Name has been changed at interviewee's request. I'd like to see these parents eat out of a tin for every meal, that's the same thing. Even if the hole is microscopic and not visibly detectable, it can be exposed to air.”. It was brought to our attention that this occurred with pouches that were available for purchase at our Springfield store located at 421 E. Battlefield. Tell us in the comments below. “I understand that companies can’t guarantee their food will be perfect all the time,” Kate said. Although those answers specifically had to do with Capri Sun drinks, they also described the possibility that organic matter in pouches (versus glass jars or cans) could be contaminated in a less detectable manner throughout the supply chain. While she says the consumer services agents had been “concerned and sweet” over the phone, Kate was left feeling frustrated by the company’s gesture. Once again, Aldi was not the only manufacturer to contend with mold complaints relating to pouch-based baby food. “I just thought, ‘Oh my God! (Post continues below.). "Our recent reviews indicate that there were no manufacturing issues with the batch in question. On January 31, 2019, the Facebook page “Mommin’ Over Everything” shared what appears to be a screenshot of a social media post showing mold purportedly found in Aldi Simply Natural baby food pouches. However, the vulnerability of food packaged in that manner (squeeze pouches) has been well covered as a food safety issue. More than two months after her initial complaint to Heinz, Kate says the company sent her an apology letter - unsigned - and a $5.00 voucher. [Dietitian Tylane] Garrett said parents should do what they can to safeguard their kids. They just make kids fussy. I am in bits, any advice would be appreciated Please sign in to contribute to the Mamamia Community. Will you still buy food pouches for your baby? A baby airport security officer checks a baby traveller’s bag, inspects the food pouches inside and sends him on his way. The (ugly) Truth About Baby Food Pouches It’s something you already intuitively know, something inside of you knows that giving your baby pouches or jars just isn’t quite right. Even if the hole is microscopic and not visibly detectable, it can be exposed to air. A consumer reports site featured a number of posts about mold in Gerber brand baby food pouches. “We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may have caused. It’s completely locked, that it hasn’t been opened prior. I also would squeeze to make sure there’s air,” Garrett said in advising parents on how to check pouches at home. As the baby holidaymaker leaves, he's shown sucking on one of the pouches - straight out of the tube and into his mouth. As the baby holidaymaker leaves, he's shown sucking on one of the pouches - straight out of the tube and into his mouth. “My baby’s still really little, so I would have done that anyway,” Kate said. “They said, ‘We always recommend that you never squeeze the product directly into their mouth.’”. “Given the risk to your health it’s best to take a very cautious approach to visible mould growth on any food,” the pair wrote. Feeding from a spoon remains the recommended method of feeding a toddler or baby food from a pouch.". As the company noted, mold can grow in sealed, perishable food and drinks if the packaging is punctured at any time after production. It’s unpleasant, but it’s unlikely to make you or your child sick. Andrew Daddo owns up to a parenting fail: he stills packs his kids’ lunch box. On January 31 2019, the Facebook page “Mommin’ Over Everything” shared what appears to be a screenshot of a social media post showing mold purportedly found in Aldi Simply Natural baby food pouches: Another version published on the same date by the Facebook page “Motherly Empire” received around 200,000 shares in the same timeframe. You may have seen it. Mold encountered in popular baby food pouches. While extremely rare, if a pouch is punctured and exposed to air, mold can grow. I am usually giving hime made food to my lo but today I resulted to a pouch due to a hungry baby who cannot wait for his dinner to be cooked. And in October 2009, the same company recalled a batch of apple and carrot baby food pouches due to potential Clostridium botulinum contamination, which can cause sometimes life-threatening botulism. In a statement issued to Mamamia, a Heinz Australia spokesperson said that Heinz's manufacturing process involves many strict checks, and that the company has not received any other complaints of this nature relating to these products. “But it’s the TV ad that’s the annoying thing to me, because they’re promoting that these are cool things that kids can eat themselves, but clearly they shouldn’t be. “When I phoned [Heinz consumer service] to complain, they said occasionally food rots that way, with the black lumps, when air gets through little holes in the packaging. Although the screenshot included an expiration date for the item, the original post was not linked and the age of the original claim was not known. They knew what I was talking about. Claims about mold in Aldi baby food pouches (or pouches of pureed food in general) were similar to long-circulating rumors about mold purportedly found in pouches of Capri Sun juices. Did a Majority of Americans in a Poll Say Trump Should Concede. Don't forget to sign up to receive our free Parents Daily Baby newsletter. Aldi’s Simply Natural line was the subject of a similar finding of mold in its pouches in March 2017 in Missouri: Other brands, including Plum organics, have dealt with mold issues before. A horrified mum who discovered "thick black" mould in an Ella's Kitchen organic baby food pouch she was about to feed her daughter took to Facebook to warn other parents. On occasion, pureed baby food and drinks sold in pouches developed mold due to very small punctures in the packaging. She just got a mouth full of mold! The risk is legitimate, but the circumstances of these photographs are still unknown. She said, however, there could be problems in manufacturing, transit, or in the store itself before the purchase is made … The local Aldi store manager told KY3 the store had not received any pouches from the supplier in the last three days. Some varieties can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, while a few in the right conditions, can produce "mycotoxins", poisonous substances that over time can make you ill. As University of Sydney biologist Ailsa Hocking and University of Tasmania Food Microbiologist Tom Ross explained via The Conversation, not all moulds on food will produce these harmful chemicals, but without the benefit of a microscope and laboratory it’s difficult to determine either way. (From Aldi in WS) *updated- expiration date on this was 12/2019*. In a separate FAQ response, Capri Sun’s FAQ explains: Imagine leaving a piece of fruit like an apple or a strawberry on your counter.