Several photos of moldy Tommee Tippee sippy cups have gone viral on Facebook, causing outraged parents to check their children's cups and demand answers from the manufacturer.
The photos, first shared by Marie-Pier S. L'Hostie of Montreal, show an orange Tommee Tippee cup owned by her friend, Simon O'kanada.
O'kanada was apparently curious why his son was sick for an extended period of time and decided to open the top of the cup.
According to O'kanada, the mold is only visible when you crack open the cup's anti-leak spout.
L’Hostie’s photos have been shared over 45,000 times. In the comments, several parents said they also found mold inside their children's cups.
Penny Powell, who is also friends with O'kanada, shared more photos of the sippy cup. She wrote (translated):
"Those of you with these cups pay special attention, he has washed it with his hands and in the dishwasher, etc., and the mildew has stayed anyway! Share it!"
While these most recent photos have gone viral and attracted a lot of attention, similar complaints can be found online dating back to last year. Here's a Facebook post from last September that apparently shows mold or mildew inside a Tommee Tippee valve:
And here's an Amazon review from October that also mentions mold inside a Tommee Tippee tumbler cup:
Dozens of customers have posted on the Tommee Tippee North America Facebook page about mold concerns, but the company has not publicly responded to those posts.
Tommee Tippee UK sent a statement to Tribune Broadcasting on Wednesday, explaining that the valves have been tested "extensively."
A company spokesman said the mold is likely caused by non-recommended liquids in the cups. The statement goes into more detail, including details about the company's intention to make a transparent valve available.
Here is the full statement: