BALTIMORE — A grandmother sickened by what she found in her granddaughter's juice pouch, contacted WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii for help getting answers from the company.
In October, Michelle Colvin cut open a pouch of Honest Kids Twisted Tropical Tango juice for her 2-year-old granddaughter. As Colvin poured the juice in a to-go cup, she spotted particles and a "worm-like" glob in the bottom.
RELATED: Grandmother finds disgusting glob in child's juice pouch
She'd never had issues with the product before, and the pack was far from expired, but she still had concerns about the mysterious glob and what was in the pouches her granddaughter already drank.
"I mean, I was just devastated. It was like I've given her these juice pouches before and she might've ingested stuff that was not good for her," said Colvin.
The Coca-Cola Company, owner of Honest Tea, asked that Colvin mail them the juice pouch. After inspecting the product, a company spokesperson sent WMAR-2 News the below statement:
At The Coca-Cola Company, product safety and quality are our highest priorities. Our production facilities employ strict quality control measures to safeguard consumers and ensure product integrity. As with any natural product without preservatives, contact with outside air over a period of time may cause a common mold to form. After speaking with the consumer and receiving the product for further inspection, we believe this is a typical food spoilage incident that can occur when a package is damaged or left open. It is highly unlikely that this would pose a health risk. We’ve been in touch with the consumer to share our findings and have assured her that there are no abnormalities in our production processes. We remain committed to ensuring our products adhere to the highest quality and safety standards at all times.
Several other companies have had issues with air leaking into juice pouches. In 2014, CAPRI SUN changed their packaging to clear bottoms so parents can more easily see what's inside.
The company offered Colvin a refund in coupons.
She said she's not sure she'll ever buy the product again, but if she does, she plans to cut open the pouch, and she's advising other parents to do the same.
If you have a Matter For Mallory, she wants to hear from you. You can email her using the form below, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.