(WCMH) — An Indiana father is warning parents that mold may be lurking in your child’s juice box.

Cameron Hardwick posted a video and photos on Facebook that showed a ‘mold-like’ substance inside a Capri Sun juice pouch.

Hardwick said in the post he grabbed a couple Capri Sun juice boxes out of the refrigerator as a treat for his 3-year-old, who had asked for one after the family finished eating dinner. He said he noticed one of them was not as full as another Capri Sun in his home.

In the video, Hardwick shakes up the container and squeezes the pouch and says there did not appear to be any holes in the juice box. He then pours it out in a glass and finds a glob of what he believed to be “some kind of mold” floating in the juice.

The Kraft Heintz Company, a beverage company based in Pennslyvania, released a statement, staying they reached out to Hardwick as soon as they learned about Hardwick’s video on Sept. 25.

Lynne Galia, a spokeswoman for the company, said the company’s quality team tested the Capri Sun purchased by the Hardwick family and confirmed the mold was caused by a puncture.

The company notified Hardwick of the company’s findings Sept. 30, she said.

“We understand it’s unpleasant, but the mold is naturally-occurring, just like if you left an apple on your counter for too long and mold begins to grow.”

Galia continued:  She said the company introduced new packaging in 2014 that is clear on the bottom, so parents can check each Capri Sun for freshness.

“We also recommend gently squeezing each pouch to check for leaks before serving Capri Sun to their kids. Leaky or punctured pouches should be discarded,” Galia said. 

On Capri Sun’s website, the company acknowledges reports of mold in Capri Sun pouches.

“It’s a common, naturally occurring food mold. Although it’s rare, it is possible for food mold to grow inside containers of preservative-free juice drinks if the pouch is compromised or punctured in any way on its journey from our facilities to your grocery stores,” according to the website.

“We care deeply about this issue and about the well-being of our moms, dads and kids. That’s why we have invested millions of dollars in our packaging, quality and manufacturing processes to make our pouches even stronger and more resistant to air leaks. We recommend that parents gently squeeze each pouch to check for leaks before serving Capri Sun to their kids. Any leaky or punctured pouches should be discarded,” according to the website.

Hardwick said in the video that he had heard of previous reports of mold in Capri Sun pouches, but said seeing it was surprising.

“This is really just unacceptable,” Hardwick said. “… I’ve read about this in this in the past, but it’s just  surprising it’s still going on.”

Hardwick posted an update on Facebook today, saying the Kraft Heinz company reached out to him and a third party company came to his home and picked up the Capri Sun juice pouch and took it to a lab for testing.

He said the company found there was a ‘micro-puncture’ in the pouch that allowed oxygen into the juice box and that created the mold seen in the video and pictures he posted on Facebook.

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