Home » Misc » Pouch baby food mold

Pouch baby food mold


Mom warns parents about food pouches after claims of discovering ‘mold’ causing her baby to get really sick

A MOM shared a warning with her fellow parents when she allegedly discovered mold inside her baby's food pouch.

This is certainly not the first time a devastated parent has used social media to share such warnings.

3

A mom discovered mold inside her baby's food pouch

3

The mold had been at the bottom, which she had not seen when she purchased it

A mom took to social media to claim her baby had gotten sick after eating from a Gerber baby food pouch.

As she showed off the allegedly moldy product, she alleged: "Warning! My first time buying these and my baby threw up nine times after eating a little over a half.

"We then noticed no expiration date and then this leaf/mold was stuck at the bottom."

The devoted mom had not seen the pouch had mold inside when she purchased it - she only found it after her baby had gotten sick.

The specific pouch was meant to be banana mango, and although it was a yellow mush, it was speckled with black chunks.

The Sun has reached out to Gerber for comment but didn't receive any at the time of publication.

Most read in Lifestyle

HALT HER

My boss said my outfit was inappropriate but I look amazing in my halterneck top

STAY AWAY

TJ Holmes left Amy Robach 'vulnerable' in post-'affair' GMA spot, expert reveals

EX-BRA-ORDINARY

I'm a 32DD & tried 4 viral braless tops - I was very impressed

NANNY ALERT

I'm a hot nanny - people hate on me but I don't care, they need to be quiet

When someone asked her in the comment section if her baby was better, she responded: "Doctor said just to keep her hydrated.

"She’s still sick at 2 am and her sister who just had one taste of it is now sick as well. But hopefully better soon!"

To further prove the mom's claims, a follower told her: "My kid literally just ate the same one today but it did not look like that."

A second mom claimed: "My daughter got salmonella from these.

"She almost died, was in the children’s hospital for a little over a week when she was little over a year old. "

And a third alleged: "My baby girl got SO sick feeding her Gerber, we had to go to ER.

"We switched to HappyBaby Organics and haven’t had an issue since."

And a fourth mom suggested: "Always squish around to mix. If possible, take a taste of anything prepackaged to make sure it's safe before feeding."

This is not the first time a mom has claimed to have found mold inside her kid's baby food pouch.

Back in July 2021, Jessica Carter showed the moment after she had opened a new pouch of Beech Nuts veggies and mold "shot" out of it, landing on the counter.

A massive build-up of mold had taken the shape of the straw as it laid on the horrifying mess.

"Just a friendly PSA to check your pouches before you give them to your kids," the worried mom said in the video.

"This is MOLD that shot out of this one and it's definitely still in date."

Read More on The US Sun

The pouch had been stamped to expire in December 2021 and the video had been published in June.

Along with the video, the mom of two boys publicly shamed the baby food brand and wrote: "Do better."

3

She claimed her baby had gotten sick after ingesting it

Mold in Baby Food Pouches?

Claim

Photograph shows mold discovered in an Aldi baby food pouch.

Rating

Unknown

Like this fact check?

Reporting

AdvertisementsOn 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.

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! She just got a mouth full of mold! (From Aldi in WS) *updated- expiration date on this was 12/2019*

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. Due to the story’s prominence across “mom” pages on Facebook, a number of commenters shared versions of the claim to Aldi USA’s Facebook page, but we were unable to locate any comment on this exact rumor.

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. In October 2018, a popular Facebook post about mold in Capri Sun pouches led to testing by the company, which subsequently found minute punctures in the drink packaging:

“A third party company came to the house to pick up the ‘sample’ & package the following day, then sent it to the lab for testing … They came back with the results a few days later and said there was a “micro-puncture” in the package allowing oxygen to enter the pouch and create the mold seen in the video/pictures.”

Trump Campaign ‘Antifa Alert’ D...

Please enable JavaScript

Trump Campaign ‘Antifa Alert’ Diamond Club Text Message

Which is pretty much Capri Sun’s FAQ answer to the question of “Will the mold make my child sick?”

“We’re so sorry you encountered mold! It’s unpleasant, but it’s unlikely to make you or your child sick. 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. Even if the hole is microscopic and not visibly detectable, it can be exposed to air.”

As the company noted, mold can grow in sealed, perishable food and drinks if the packaging is punctured at any time after production. 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. After time exposed to the air, mold will grow. 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. Even if the hole is microscopic and not visibly detectable, it can be exposed to air. The mold is naturally-occurring, and we understand it’s unpleasant.

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 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.

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.

“When you twist it, it’s locked. 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.

[Dietitian Tylane] Garrett said parents should do what they can to safeguard their kids. 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. The pouches are not available at the store on Battlefield Road at Jefferson Avenue.

[In March 2017], Aldi issued this statement:

“ALDI takes the safety and integrity of the products we sell very seriously and our Little Journey baby line is no exception.

“Our Little Journey Organic Food Puree pouches are USDA certified organic and contain no artificial preservatives. While extremely rare, if a pouch is punctured and exposed to air, mold can grow. 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. Out of an abundance of caution, we have removed all Little Journey Organic Food Puree pouches from our store shelves in the Springfield area.

“We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may have caused. 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. ”

Once again, Aldi was not the only manufacturer to contend with mold complaints relating to pouch-based baby food. A consumer reports site featured a number of posts about mold in Gerber brand baby food pouches. In 2016, the Detroit Free Press reported that all baby food in pouches is vulnerable to mold growth. In 2014, a similarly viral claim involved mold in GoGo Squeeze applesauce, a complaint that arose about Mott’s in March 2017.

The circumstances under which the baby food pouch in the photographs was contaminated were not clear. However, the vulnerability of food packaged in that manner (squeeze pouches) has been well covered as a food safety issue. On occasion, pureed baby food and drinks sold in pouches developed mold due to very small punctures in the packaging. The risk is legitimate, but the circumstances of these photographs are still unknown.

Freezing Homemade Baby Food - Encyclopedia Baby Food

Levchuk Viktoria©

There are some important guidelines for freezing baby food to follow, they are outlined on this page, and there is even a diagram of the foods that can be frozen. We will show you how to freeze freshly made puree and store it. It will be interesting to read.

Good to know!

  • The remains of frozen baby food - what to do with them, we will find out in the article.
  • Heading Frozen food - all about baby food cubes.
  • New thinking on allergens

Easy to use site map Baby Food Encyclopedia with a list of all articles and recipes.

How long do you keep baby food in the refrigerator or freezer?

Contents:

  • Freezer: 4-6 months (ideally used within 1 month or 3 months)
  • Refrigerator (fruits/vegetables): 24 hours
  • Refrigerator (meat, poultry, fish eggs): 24 hours

For optimal quality and nutrient retention, store frozen baby food cubes in the freezer for no more than 1-3 months .
Frozen baby food is safe to use if kept in the freezer for about 3-6 months without thawing again. However, it is more reasonable to use them in the region of 1 month to 3 months inclusive. Due to the amount of water crystals that accumulate in baby puree, and the fact that nutrients and important substances can be leached/evaporated when thawed due to these same water crystals, it is wiser to use your frozen baby food whenever possible. - no more than 3 months of storage. However, it is best to use within the first month after freezing, we advise.

Most sources advise storing fruit and vegetables for 8 to 12 months in the freezer. This is mostly true of whole foods that are congealed in their natural state. This is also provided that the refrigerator compartment remains at a constant temperature below zero. Deep-freezing is best if you want to keep frozen food for a long time. However, it should be remembered that the instructions and recommendations for freezing food for long-term storage do not imply that the fruit or vegetable has been boiled and mashed.

How long can baby puree be kept in the refrigerator?

In the refrigerator, it is not recommended to store fresh pureed homemade baby food for more than 24 hours. This limitation ensures that the growth of pathogens in the puree is kept to a minimum and that the food does not take on the “refrigerator flavor”. This "rule" applies to vegetables, fruits, meats, etc.

If you do not plan to freeze homemade baby food, then baby food for the baby is prepared every day if he is too small until 8-9months, or every other day, older than the specified age.

Why freeze baby food?

Save parent time, reduce food waste and ensure food safety.

For example, one potato was baked in the oven, and then half was mashed and the other half was frozen.

Frozen vegetables or fruits are safe in baby food

Fruits and vegetables can be frozen. Using frozen fruits and vegetables is the second best option after eating fresh. The quick freezing process (food is frozen at a very low temperature and very quickly) actually preserves the nutrients optimally. Cooking destroys more important nutrients than freezing food. Contrary to myth, freezing food (particularly fruits and vegetables) does not destroy 100% of minerals and vitamins. The freezing process, subject to storage conditions at a constant temperature of zero degrees, does not contribute to the complete loss of nutrients and important substances - if this is the case, then most of the population is malnourished, since in winter we eat a huge amount of frozen foods.

Frozen vegetables not cooked at the time of packaging must be cooked before eating. Please remember to read the labels of frozen bags, as some brands of frozen vegetables may be pre-cooked.

One of the most frequently asked questions is "Can I use frozen fruits or vegetables for baby food and then freeze the puree?". Since there are no studies that show that repeated freezing is negative and / or can negatively affect health. The problem is that it is necessary to cook food from products that have been frozen once. But the reality is that a frozen product, going through all the stages from a fresh look to a frozen product in a refrigerator in a store, can survive several defrosting and freezing, as it was written earlier, it is through water crystals that nutrients leave. Therefore, purchased frozen vegetables and fruits must be carefully selected, and we would not recommend preparing baby food from them for subsequent freezing of baby puree. It is clear that sometimes parents have no choice and have to start complementary foods with purchased frozen food, so we carefully choose the packaging and the manufacturer, without holes, without pieces of ice.

For example, from frozen vegetables (home-made or a good quality store-bought bag) that were raw when frozen, we cook a roast, we freeze the leftovers of the roast and use it for its intended purpose next time, but it is not worth freezing the roast after the last defrosting.

Why not refreeze

Do not refreeze thawed food, this is a correct statement. Re-freezing a defrosted product can affect the quality and taste (and possibly nutritional value) of the product, and when it is thawed, pathogenic bacteria may begin to multiply. It is always necessary to prepare defrosted food before re-freezing. The preparation of a thawed product then allows it to be re-frozen in a single cycle. Storing a bag of frozen fruits or vegetables makes food preparation a quick and easy solution. You do not need to defrost the whole package, just get the required amount of the product, and leave the rest in the freezer.

The easiest way to freeze baby puree is to spoon it into an ice mold, cover with plastic wrap so that there is no air access.

Before using the ice molds, they must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and boiled water. Some parents even immerse their ice molds in boiling water for sanitization (Note: Make sure the sanitization is suitable for the molds before use.)

There are many benefits to storing your child's homemade food in an ice mold:
  • Each cube is approximately the same size, which allows parents to determine the amount of food the child consumes.
  • Minimal waste by using only 1 cube at a time and not having to waste a lot of food.
  • Another advantage is that the ice molds are close at hand and you don't have to go out and buy them.
  • The time spent in the kitchen is significantly reduced.

You can transfer baby puree cubes to freezer bags, freeing up molds for the next batch of food and also freeing up some freezer space.

Do not forget about the labeling of packages with cubes of baby puree, write the date of freezing and the type of puree. This will help you quickly remove the cube from the package, as well as monitor their expiration date.

Ice crystals on baby food cubes

Don't worry if ice crystals are visible on baby food cubes. It's not frostbite, but excess liquid used in mashing that rises and solidifies at the top of the cubes. These crystals or frost are not dangerous and will not make baby puree cubes inedible or harmful.

Frostbite - what is it and how to determine it?

Frostbite looks like greyish brown spots on frozen food. It looks like a leathery type of texture and is easily noticeable. Crystals on frozen foods are not frostbite, but are the result of excess liquid during the freezing process and the formation of ice crystals.

Frostbite does not make frozen foods bad or harmful; it just makes the affected areas very dry. The only thing that can suffer in food that is frostbitten is the quality. You can cut off frostbitten areas and use the undamaged area of ​​​​food. Frostbite is the result of excess air in a frozen bag that sinks onto food. Eliminate air pockets in bags to help stop frostbite.

Can glass baby food freezer jars or baby food jars like Frutonyanya or Gerber be used? and also such banks are prone to rupture. Baby food jars are not manufactured for freezing or extreme heating. There are glass jars for freezing food in them, but they can be hard to find. Many people freeze in baby food jars, but I'm not a fan of this at all. After all, food is made for the baby because we want to give him the best healthy food; Do you really want to take the risk and freeze baby food in glass jars?

There are certain plastic jars that are specially made to withstand high temperatures and/or freezing. Therefore, it is best to use plastic containers or ordinary thick plastic bags, convenient and simple. There are also special freezer bags with a zip clip - an interesting option.

Can previously frozen breast milk or formula be used to make vegetable or fruit purees?

Do not use previously frozen breast milk to prepare puree to freeze later this baby food.

Breast milk must never be refrozen in any shape or form.

Milk formula

You can freeze puree to which thawed milk formula has been added. However, formula should not be frozen in bottles or cans. It is impossible to add the mixture to the previously frozen mixture and freeze it. If frozen milk formula is used for mashing, then it is necessary to freeze it at a time without defrosting. Freezing milk formula causes separation of fats and liquids, and the texture suffers accordingly. Although there is no health risk, the same happens with breast milk and cow's milk, the texture and quality suffer a little. However, it is best to prepare the milk formula before putting it in the baby puree and only then freeze the puree. This will be more useful and efficient.

Some formula manufacturers say that freezing any formula is not recommended, as the process can alter physical properties such as fat separation, which can be difficult for sensitive babies to digest. Freezing does not affect the quality or food sterility, however it will not prolong the shelf life of formula. Freezing may result in the loss of the desired appearance and functionality and is therefore not recommended.

It may be easier to freeze puree without adding any additional liquids. Since, when defrosted, they are most often liquid, so you have to add oatmeal or rice flakes.

Baby applesauce: the safest for the little ones

/ All materials

Safety? Better. Sterility

When mashed apples that have already started to spoil are used in the manufacture of mashed potatoes, mycotoxins remain in the finished mashed potatoes even after heat treatment.

According to the results of the examination, patulin was found only in puree "Grandmother's basket" and Hipp , but its amount (50-60% of the maximum allowable level) is so insignificant that it cannot harm the child.

The experts also tested all applesauce for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF).

If you compare canned mashed potatoes of industrial production and prepared by yourself, which one is safer and of higher quality?

Artem Samoilov, head of the testing laboratory VNIIKOP:

The sourest, sweetest and most fortified

The makers of Grandma's Basket and Heinz seem to have chosen the sweetest varieties.

Puree Gerber turned out to be sour in taste - the most expensive among the tested samples. At the same time, its acidity, determined in the laboratory, as well as the acidity of all other purees, complies with the standards. This means that the manufacturers used only ripe apples - when making puree from unripe fruits, the acidity would be high.

The manufacturer of mashed potatoes Heinz did not regret “ascorbic acid”: its quantity is maximum compared to other samples.

The vitamin C content in a jar of this applesauce is 2.5 times the daily requirement of a child under the age of one year. However, there is nothing wrong with this: such a content of the vitamin meets the requirements of the standards, and the consumption of ascorbic acid in such quantities does not pose a danger to the health of the child.

According to the results of the examination of Roskontrol, all tested apple purees turned out to be safe and of high quality. You can safely choose the one that you like best for the price, and the child for the taste.

At what age should applesauce be introduced into a child's diet? On jars they write “from 3.5 months”, “from 4 months”, how is it really right?

Andrey Mosov, head of the expert department of NP Roskontrol, doctor:

Test details

















September 10, 2014

Advertising

Advertising

Name of the Contacting Organization

Contact name

Position


9000 I have read and accept the Rules for the Functioning of the Independent Quality Control System "Roskontrol".

Learn more