The producers of the Swizzle drink and the Bureau of Standards say that a case in which a woman and her kids found a slimy substance in one of their drinks is an isolated incident.
Seprod, which distributes the product manufactured by its subsidiary Serge Island Dairies Ltd, along with the bureau have conducted separate investigations into the matter and say that they have arrived at the same conclusion.
Byron Thompson, chief executive officer at Seprod, said that in this case a mould had developed because the package of the particular drink was breached at least two months prior to its consumption. "Even the slightest pinhole caused by sugar ants can cause a breach in the package and cause air to get in," Thompson explained.
The case became public after the mother of two kids, ages three and nine, sent out an email which was being widely circulated. She said that her kids were consuming the product last October when one of them discovered a slimy substance. "I experienced one of the most disgusting sights; an object that had the appearance of a lizard or slug protruding through the straw hole of the box. From inside the straw came a grey slimy liquid which made the straw appear as if it had been lying in a gutter with dirty water for days, " the email said.
The mother further stated that her child got sick. "For three days starting the day after he had consumed the Swizzle, my older son was ill. He had diarrhoea, loss of appetite and was weak," the email said.
Investigated matter
When THE STAR spoke to Thompson, he said that the family had contacted the company seeking to have the matter investigated. He said his team empathises with the family and further investigations had shown that the mould found in the drink was aspergillus niger.
According to Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia, "Aspergillus niger is a fungus and one of the most common species of the genus aspergillus. It causes a disease called black mould on certain fruits and vegetables such as grapes, onions, and peanuts, and is a common contaminant of food. Niger is less likely to cause human disease than some other aspergillus species."
Thompson said that the breach of the packaging most likely occurred outside the plant. "We have to manufacture the thing under strict guidelines. We do a micro-biological test before sending out the product to ensure that it is safe when it leaves the plant. It seems clear to me that (the package was breached outside the plant)." he said.
Thompson said when he saw the drink, the straw had already been put in, so it was difficult for them to determine what exactly caused the breach. The drink, which is mainly consumed by children, is in tetra packaging and if stored under the recommended conditions has a shelf life of up to a year.
He noted that the company manufactures about eight million drinks per month and receives about one complaint about the product in a year.
He added that the manufacturing standards are frequently audited by the Bureau of Standards and the Ministry of Health to ensure that the highest health practices are observed during production.
The Bureau of Standards said in an emailed response to questions by THE STAR that, although it did not receive a formal complaint, they did an investigation because of the public concern. "It appears that the matter may have been an isolated case," the bureau concluded.
The producers of the Swizzle drink and the Bureau of Standards say that a case in which a woman and her kids found a slimy substance in one of their drinks is an isolated incident.
Seprod, which distributes the product manufactured by its subsidiary Serge Island Dairies Ltd, along with the bureau have conducted separate investigations into the matter and say that they have arrived at the same conclusion.
Byron Thompson, chief executive officer at Seprod, said that in this case a mould had developed because the package of the particular drink was breached at least two months prior to its consumption. "Even the slightest pinhole caused by sugar ants can cause a breach in the package and cause air to get in," Thompson explained.
The case became public after the mother of two kids, ages three and nine, sent out an email which was being widely circulated. She said that her kids were consuming the product last October when one of them discovered a slimy substance. "I experienced one of the most disgusting sights; an object that had the appearance of a lizard or slug protruding through the straw hole of the box. From inside the straw came a grey slimy liquid which made the straw appear as if it had been lying in a gutter with dirty water for days, " the email said.
The mother further stated that her child got sick. "For three days starting the day after he had consumed the Swizzle, my older son was ill. He had diarrhoea, loss of appetite and was weak," the email said.
When THE STAR spoke to Thompson, he said that the family had contacted the company seeking to have the matter investigated. He said his team empathises with the family and further investigations had shown that the mould found in the drink was aspergillus niger.
According to Wikipedia, an online encyclopaedia, "Aspergillus niger is a fungus and one of the most common species of the genus aspergillus. It causes a disease called black mould on certain fruits and vegetables such as grapes, onions, and peanuts, and is a common contaminant of food. Niger is less likely to cause human disease than some other aspergillus species."
Thompson said that the breach of the packaging most likely occurred outside the plant. "We have to manufacture the thing under strict guidelines. We do a micro-biological test before sending out the product to ensure that it is safe when it leaves the plant. It seems clear to me that (the package was breached outside the plant)." he said.
Thompson said when he saw the drink, the straw had already been put in, so it was difficult for them to determine what exactly caused the breach. The drink, which is mainly consumed by children, is in tetra packaging and if stored under the recommended conditions has a shelf life of up to a year.
He noted that the company manufactures about eight million drinks per month and receives about one complaint about the product in a year.
He added that the manufacturing standards are frequently audited by the Bureau of Standards and the Ministry of Health to ensure that the highest health practices are observed during production.
The Bureau of Standards said in an emailed response to questions by THE STAR that, although it did not receive a formal complaint, they did an investigation because of the public concern. "It appears that the matter may have been an isolated case," the bureau concluded.