When you're looking forward to a delicious dinner, the last thing you expect is an unpleasant surprise in your meal kit.

But that's exactly what happened to one ALDI shopper, who was stunned after discovering mould in her $4.99 Mexican meal kit.

The incident has sparked a conversation among consumers about the importance of quality control and the reality of food spoilage, even in our most trusted supermarkets.


The shopper, eager to enjoy a tasty meal, opened her El Tora Crispy Chicken Soft Taco Kit only to be greeted by tortillas that had turned a disturbing shade of green.

The mouldy discovery was certainly not on the menu, and the shopper took to social media to share her dismay, posting photos of the mould-infested wraps with the caption:


'Just opened our taco kit to make dinner and came across these wraps. bb date 2/11/24,'

The post quickly garnered sympathy and advice from fellow group members.

One person commented on the inconvenience of preparing the rest of the meal only to find the main component unusable.


One wrote, ‘I will be checking mine tonight before cooking the meat! What an unpleasant surprise! '

‘That really sucks, especially if you have already prepared the meat to go with it,’ another shared.

‘All well and good you can get a refund but doesn't help the fact that you're ready to serve. That's a shame.’

While another tried to inject some humour into the situation by joking about the unexpected dose of penicillin.

‘I can hear all the cupboards opening to check their taco boxes.’ he said.


Others offered practical solutions:

‘That sucks, hun! I hate it when you are relying on it for dinner! Just take it back or show them photos! Hopefully, you have a backup for dinner!’ a different shopper advised.

‘Do you have any other wraps around? Or make a chicken bowl instead?’

This incident, however, is not an isolated case or exclusive to ALDI products. Several group members chimed in with their tales of food gone bad, sharing experiences with other brands and supermarkets.

‘Ugh! I’ve had that happen to me twice with wraps from Coles. Put me off them for weeks!’ one exclaimed.

‘I’ve had this with old El Paso brand too,’ another echoed.

‘That's the manufacturer, not ALDI's fault—I'd contact them directly,’ a third commenter said.

‘So frustrating! You pretty much have to open and check everything before you are ready to use it. I opened a box of pasta from Woolies yesterday to use for dinner and it was full of bugs. Luckily I have other pasta I could use,’ a different person vented.


The cause of the mould was quickly identified by astute observers who noticed a tiny hole in the plastic packaging of the wraps.

‘I can see a tiny hole in the bag in the top corner where the mould is predominantly present. This can happen with any brand from any supermarket. Simply take it back for a refund,’ one user noticed.

Another person said, along with the picture, ‘The tortilla bag wasn’t sealed properly. You can see where in the picture. '

‘Air has gotten into the plastic bag, so it wasn’t sealed properly. This happened to me a while ago. There should be an 1800 number on the back of the box. I called that number, and they gave me a $10 credit to use the next time I shopped. It was a bit inconvenient as it was dinner time, and I had to conjure up something else,’ a third person shared the sentiment.

ALDI's official stance on the matter reinforces its commitment to quality.

A spokesperson encouraged customers to report product issues directly to their help centre for investigation.

The supermarket chain's stringent quality standards mean they take such feedback seriously, aiming to ensure that all products meet customer expectations.

In related news, an ALDI customer discovered mould in her green curry sauce despite the bottle being within its best-before date. Read more about this incident here.
Have you ever had a similar experience with a meal kit or other pre-packaged food item? How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome? Share your stories in the comments below.