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.
Mum to 24-week-old Elena, Emma Harper, 31, from Wick in Caithness, Scotland, made the discovery as she was about to feed her daughter the Ella's Kitchen pouch at 6pm on December 11.
She decided to cut the "plums, pears, parsnips and swedes" pouch open after she noticed the food coming out of it was "runny" and spotted a "long black bit".
What she discovered inside made her "feel sick" and "terrified" she could have poisoned her five-and-a-half month-old daughter.
Food Hygiene stories
The concerned mum's story was shared in the Kensal Rise NW10 Facebook group.
Speaking to getwestlondon, Miss Harper said: "The food was like liquid and I didn't think it was right, so I emptied it into a bowl and saw slime coming out - my first thought was that it looked like a squashed worm.
"I could feel there was something still inside the packet so I cut it open and there was a large black hard slimy thing in the pouch.
"I felt sick at the thought that I could have possibly poisoned my daughter.
"I couldn't believe what was inside it - I've never seen something like it, it was unrecognisable!
"A lot of people responded to the photos I put on Facebook saying it was mould but I had never seen black mould like that before - I thought of mould as thick green furry stuff!"
Miss Harper took photos of the cut open pouch and its contents and posted them on Facebook to warn other parents.
She wrote: "Heads up to all mummies out there that use Ella's Kitchen pouches or any other makes - please be vigilant!"
She added: "I'd been using the pouches on and off since Elena since was four months old, she loved Ella's and with them being 100% organic I thought they were the best on the market.
"But I will never use any pouches or jarred baby food again!
"My post on Facebook was to warn parents against letting their children suck on these pouches - because you really don't know what's in them or if they've been ruined."
She said: "Ella's Kitchen has been fantastic - it sent a courier up the next day to pick the pouch up for testing."
An Ella's Kitchen spokesman said: "At Ella’s Kitchen we take all concerns raised by our consumers very seriously. We have been in contact with the consumer and have arranged for the product to be returned to us. Initial investigations show that this is an isolated case where mould has grown on the puree due to air being let in through a small hole in the pouch.
"Ella’s Kitchen food is made using the highest quality 100% approved organic ingredients, and has stringent policies on product safety to ensure food quality is of the highest importance."
