Mum's urgent warning after finding harmful mould hidden in spot parents NEVER check

May 30, 2023

A HORRIFIED mum found a haven of harmful mould growing in her children's lunch boxes in a spot that parents hardly ever check.

Grace Bollen has urged others to ensure every nook and cranny is sparkling clean after making the stomach-churning discovery.

She explained that while sprucing up her kids' water-tight containers, "something in her" prompted her to investigate them further.

The mum went into full detective mode after noticing some little black spots nesting in the corners while she was washing them.

To satisfy her curiosity, Grace then prised open the protective layer inside her children's lunchboxes to find the source of the stains.

But to her horror, she peeled back the glued-on lids and found the hidden compartments were absolutely covered in mould.

The mum, from New Zealand, said she was revolted by the sight and "felt awful" that her offspring had been storing their lunch in them.

She shared her disgust in a Facebook post where she warned other plastic container lovers to be aware of the dangers.

Grace wrote: "I'm absolutely appalled. I feel awful that my children have been eating lunch out of these.

"The children’s lunchboxes have been hand washed each night & left open to dry. Parents need to know!"

She explained that one of her kids had been using the gruesome-looking blue lunch box for the last nine months.

But another child had been tucking into their dinner out of the mould-ridden yellow lunch box for the last year.

Despite them being purchased from different brands, both containers have a secret layer where bacteria can thrive.

Dr Sara Siddiqui explained mould "craves warmth and moisture" and flourishes in small hard-to-reach crevices.

She told Care.com: "Any product that frequently comes into contact with water or is routinely in a moist area is very susceptible to mould growth.

"There’s even more of a chance of mould for items that have small holes or openings that are difficult to clean with soap and water."

The paediatrician said children who have medical conditions, weakened immune systems or a mould allergy are most at risk.

Youngsters who ingest mould may experience vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, fever, and fatigue.

Dr Siddiqui added: "Mold is all around us, and we breathe in and swallow some mould every day.

"The type of mould, the length of time someone was exposed to mould, how they were exposed to mould and an individual’s own medical history makes each case of mould exposure unique.

"However, it makes sense to keep exposure to mould as low as we can reasonably manage."

After her lunchbox shock, Grace advised parents not to buy any complicated containers which have parts which you can't clean.

She also shared her top tip for mould detection on lighter-coloured models - holding them up to a bright light.

The mum said she had contacted both manufacturers to complain, who insisted they were working to rectify the problem.

Other social media users were sickened by the mould masked by the secret compartment and shared their thoughts in the comments.

One said: "Simple ones are the best - no hidden surprises like other fancy ones."

Another added: "Ew this is so disappointing. I'll be checking ours today."

We previously told how a disgusted mum shared the horrors that had been lurking inside her daughter's two-year-old lunch box.