Shocking discovery in Woolworths item leaves family horrified: ‘It’s absolutely disgusting’

When we think of a refreshing juice box, we imagine a sweet, wholesome drink that's perfect for quenching our thirst.

But for one family, a seemingly innocent juice box turned into a source of horror and concern.


A Queensland mother's recent experience has raised concerns about the safety of pre-packaged juice drinks sold at Woolworths.

The incident, which left her five-year-old son with an upset stomach, has sparked a conversation about the quality control of these products and the potential health risks they pose.


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Black clumps were found inside the juice box. Credit: Yahoo News Australia

The mother, who wanted to be identified as Erin, had left her son with his grandmother while she took her daughter to an appointment.

According to Erin, her son had asked for a drink, and his grandmother gave him a juice box that had been purchased from Woolworths in Caboolture.


‘He put the straw in and took a few little drinks and then asked for it to be put in a cup,’ Erin shared.

‘My mum cut the corner of the spout and poured it into the cup, and black bits came out.’

She continued: ‘She poured the rest of the liquid out and saw there was more in the container that was too large to fit through the hole. When I arrived about an hour later, she told me what happened and said I needed to see it and see if I [could] tell what it [was].’

Using her phone light to inspect the juice box, she found large clumps of what appeared to be mould. She described the texture as similar to a waterlogged sultana.


Erin's son, who had only taken a few sips of the juice, experienced an upset stomach afterwards.

'Thankfully, only a slightly upset stomach the next day, but it could have been a lot worse,' Erin said.

She also expressed concern for her nieces and nephews who had consumed other juice boxes from the same pack on different days.

‘They had no ill effects, but we don’t know if their juices were also contaminated. But seeing as they were drunk through a straw, who knows,’ she explained.

In the aftermath of the event, Erin expressed her disappointment and disgust and issued a warning to others.

‘Honestly, we were shocked and disgusted,’ she said before adding that she doesn’t buy juice boxes for her children anymore.

‘Instead, we get a big bottle of juice for the family and put it on our reusable cups, but mum likes to keep them on hand.’

‘She will not be buying any brand of Primas again in fear of it happening again.’


The incident has sparked speculation among other parents online about what the black substance could be.

‘A lady commented on the post and mentioned that her father works in manufacturing, and it is most likely sediment from the bottom of the tank,’ Erin stated.

‘Another said she processes refunds for a store, and usually what happens is night fill will accidentally slice the carton with the knife on opening, and, in turn, mould grows.’

She added: ‘Either way, it’s absolutely disgusting, and parents should know to cut them open prior and pour it out just in case. I certainly wouldn’t trust them again.’


Erin lodged a complaint with Woolworths, Food Safety Queensland, and the juice's manufacturer, Bega Foodservice.

However, in response, Erin said Woolworths only offered her a $10 voucher.

Meanwhile, the supermarket giant stated that they take food safety seriously.

‘We take food safety seriously and are disappointed to see this customer's report,’ a spokesperson shared before adding that they have forwarded this complaint to the supplier for further investigation.

They also stated that the incident appears to be an isolated case.

‘If customers ever have concerns with food quality or safety, we encourage them to return the product in its packaging to their local store for a full refund and to lodge a formal report,’ said the spokesperson.


A spokesperson for Bega Group also responded, stating that they have commenced a thorough investigation into the incident.

‘As soon as we were made aware of this, we commenced working with our broader team to conduct a thorough investigation, which is still underway. The safety of our consumers and [the] quality of our product is, as always, the top priority,’ they said.

This story comes after Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci announced that he is resigning from his position, marking an end to his 13-year tenure with the supermarket giant.

Just days before this retirement announcement, he abruptly walked out of a Four Corners interview when questioned about the lack of competition in the Australian grocery market. You can read more about this story here.

Key Takeaways

  • A mum found a disturbing substance in her son's juice box bought at Woolworths, which was speculated to be mould.
  • Her son experienced an upset stomach after consuming a few mouthfuls of the juice.
  • Woolworths and the manufacturer of the juice, Bega Foodservice, were contacted and are investigating the incident, which they believe to be an isolated case.
  • If customers have concerns with food quality or safety, Woolworths encourages them to return the product for a full refund and to lodge a formal report.
Have you ever encountered a similar issue with pre-packaged food or drinks? Share your experiences in the comments below.
 
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What was the expiry date on the box ?

Where were the juice boxes previously stored ?

Even if these are left in the heat for awhile they can go off which could cause mould

I think there could be more to this story .

I really don't think he would have gotten sick from 2 sips.

Mould on food isn't the same as the dangerous black mould that grows on walls ect
 
Ok so before we lose our minds about this one the container has OBVIOUSLY had a problem, although this woman has notified them, been offered a voucher..(we only have her word for it being ($10)...and ALL measures are being taken to correct the problem, and she STILL takes to social media...like she needs validation!
 
What was the expiry date on the box ?

Where were the juice boxes previously stored ?

Even if these are left in the heat for awhile they can go off which could cause mould

I think there could be more to this story .

I really don't think he would have gotten sick from 2 sips.

Mould on food isn't the same as the dangerous black mould that grows on walls ect
Absolutely! I do believe there is more to this...
 
I stopped shopping at wokeworths completely after their australia day snub and i will never shop with them again they along with coles rip off their customers
 
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Lot of missing bits to this 'alleged' incident. Expiry date, was it showing any signs of bulged packaging? Could be a dozen out of the retails hands reasons. But the kangaroo court of this site will just blame the retailer. The bias against retailers on this site is astounding, but guarantee the naysayers still shop there.
 
What was the expiry date on the box ?

Where were the juice boxes previously stored ?

Even if these are left in the heat for awhile they can go off which could cause mould

I think there could be more to this story .

I really don't think he would have gotten sick from 2 sips.

Mould on food isn't the same as the dangerous black mould that grows on walls ect
Exactly, my thoughts too - stuff happens!
people are so quick to put shame on people without knowing much.
looks pretty disgusting but as I said shit happens.
 
I stopped shopping at wokeworths completely after their australia day snub and i will never shop with them again they along with coles rip off their customers
Clearly both recent profit reports indicate they've NOT missed you. Good luck with that. Guess that means you don't shop at any of their affiliates also? Big W, Dan Murphy, BWS, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Bunnings, the list goes on. Unless you live in a small regional town, doubt it's possible to not pass over money to either of these in reality.
 
Lot of missing bits to this 'alleged' incident. Expiry date, was it showing any signs of bulged packaging? Could be a dozen out of the retails hands reasons. But the kangaroo court of this site will just blame the retailer. The bias against retailers on this site is astounding, but guarantee the naysayers still shop there.
I have to agree Alan, Woolies didn't make the drink. It is a Prima brand drink.
In all the 36yrs I worked in hospitality I never saw an issue like this, and I purchased a lot of food.
Even a damaged package would have been leaking. Very strange indeed.
 
I have to agree Alan, Woolies didn't make the drink. It is a Prima brand drink.
In all the 36yrs I worked in hospitality I never saw an issue like this, and I purchased a lot of food.
Even a damaged package would have been leaking. Very strange indeed.
Like I said there is more to this story and personally I don't believe it
 
Clearly both recent profit reports indicate they've NOT missed you. Good luck with that. Guess that means you don't shop at any of their affiliates also? Big W, Dan Murphy, BWS, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Bunnings, the list goes on. Unless you live in a small regional town, doubt it's possible to not pass over money to either of these in reality.
Agree. The only choice I have is to shop at Coles or Woolies. Or travel almost 1.5 hours to an IGA.
 
There is always the option of going to an orchard, picking your own fruit, cutting in halves whilst using all the necessary hygiene precautions, juicing yourself, putting into freeze proof containers after sanitizing them as you would, take the frozen product with you when you go out keeping in mind it will defrost, and so it goes on.
Doing all this, there is always the possibility that the container you use might have a slight nick or crack, so you will have to put yourself on social media and declare that you are a crappy juice maker.
I do feel this comes under the heading of an unfortunate incident that was caught just in time. A couple of sips are hardly enough to cause damage, unless some kind of plague was involved.
I think the adults were the ones who were queazy because of the sight to behold.
 
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The mother was expecting a bigger refund from Woolies? So, as always, it's about the money.
Hardly Woolworths fault, how do we know it wasn't a set up for a compensation claim and she expected more out of it. 😡
 
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All those drinks are poisonous with the amount of sugar and other chemicals in them.
We wonder why kids suffer from ADH and other maladies......
 

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