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SALT LAKE CITY — A California woman became suspicious of a Capri Sun juice pouch after her boyfriend’s sister said the juice was barely coming out; she then discovered what she called a worm dangling from the end of the straw.
Ashley Hibbard posted a photo on her Facebook page, alerting her friends of what she found when she opened the juice pouch. She wrote that her boyfriend’s sister, Hazel, said the juice tasted funny, so they pulled up the straw and a found a worm-like substance dangling from the end.
“I took out the straw and it was right there,” Hibbard told CBS Sacramento. “It's like slimy and like whitish pink. It was just gross.”
Kraft foods reportedly said the worm-like matter may be mold. The company said that it looks like mold they’ve seen in the past, but can’t give a definite answer without examining the pouch.
Finding mold in Capri Sun pouches is an issue Kraft Foods addresses in multiple instances on the company’s frequently asked questions page.
In response to “Why is there mold in Capri Sun?” Kraft Foods responded that while finding mold is extremely rare, Capri Sun drinks do not contain artificial preservatives, “something that moms appreciate.”
It is possible for food mold to grow inside a pouch that has been punctured and is exposed to air. What usually forms is a common food mold, similar to what might grow on fruit or bread.
–Kraft Foods
“It is possible for food mold to grow inside a pouch that has been punctured and is exposed to air,” the answer reads. “What usually forms is a common food mold, similar to what might grow on fruit or bread.”
According to the company’s website, experts have said there are no significant or long-term effects associated with the type of mold.
Hibbard's photo comes comes a month after a Hawaii woman reportedly found a similar, oozing substance in a Capri Sun pouch.
“When my sister was about to insert the straw where the straw needs to go, there was a green mold like substance in it,” Dela Rosa told KHON2.
The Kraft Foods website says the company has invested more than $2 million to make juice pouches stronger, but admits “sometimes tiny holes or tears can occur, especially after the pouches leave our facility." They recommend parents squeeze each pouch to check for leaks before serving.
