This parent was shocked when he opened a packet of baby custard. Photo / Facebook
This parent was shocked when he opened a packet of baby custard. Photo / Facebook
A Kiwi dad is warning parents to be vigilant after discovering apparent mould in a baby food pouch he was feeding to his 10-month-old daughter.
Taking to Facebook, Steven Misa shared photos of his grim find, stating: "You see this all the time on the news/tv/but never thought it'll happen to me."
He went on to explain he was sharing the post in hopes other parents would be more careful with what they were feeding their children.
"Parents please be cautious with packaged food we give to our babies.
"This morning I was making my 10mnth [sic] old daughter breakfast. She has the same thing every morning, oats and we add half a pouch of baby custard for flavour.
"But this morning as I'm squeezing out the custard into her oats it seemed a bit runny rather than thick which I thought nothing of it ... so I decided to cut it open and to see what's up ..."
He warned other parents about the baby food brand. Photo / Facebook
He claims he then cut open the pouch of Farex baby food to find mould growing inside it.
"Yea never again ... could just be a one-off thing but still! Not taking the risk no more."
The father added that his warning is especially timely in light of "everything going on and viruses popping up left right and centre".
"This is a reminder to us parents to be extra cautious about what [we're] feeding our kids."
Misa told the Herald he bought a batch of the pouches every week because his daughter loves them.
Commenters chimed in on Facebook saying it was "disgusting". Photo / Facebook
He said the pouch was brand new, as they always click once the cap or seal is broken. The expiry date on the pouch was February 3, 2021.
"We store it in the cupboard until we've opened and poured half of it into her oats and once opened, the remainder is stored away in our fridge (as instructed on the pack) to be used the next morning."
Misa said he'd messaged the company on Facebook expressing his concerns.
"It could just be a one-off bad pouch, or could be a whole batch of them that's floating around out there. But one's one too many and that's just not good enough. Especially when it's food going into the mouths of our children."
He was shocked to find mould inside the pouch. Photo / Facebook
Other parents chimed in on the Facebook post, with one commenting: "This is why we will be making our own baby food!"
"It's actually SUPER common!!! Not just this brand but MANY of them! Always best to make sure never feed directly from the packet, always squeeze it out first!!!" wrote another.
"The writer says custard and that's not custard. Also how long had it been opened for and where had it been stored?" one asked.
Misa later told the Herald that it was in fact Farex Breakfast on the Go baby porridge and not custard.
"I mistakenly put baby custard as it looks like custard when squeezed out of the pouch."
A spokesperson for Wattie's, which owns the Farex brand, had responded to Misa's comments saying it was likely the mould came from a packaging issue rather than the manufacturing.
"We appreciate that this has been a distressing experience ... a very small tear or microscopic damage to the pouch will allow air in and the product can then grow mould.
"Of course you are right in saying parents should always remain vigilant when feeding children."
The company said it was more than happy to compensate Misa for the experience with their product.
