Parents outraged after mold discovered on popular sippy-cups

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Parents around the world are upset about dangerous mold growing inside the valves of a popular sippy cup for children.

Manufacturer Tommee Tippee is getting blasted on social media after numerous photos recently surfaced online showing the mold growth.

A mom in France posted pictures on Facebook last year, and ever since, parents in the United States have followed suit.

Florida mom Britney Quinones noticed black mold on her son's sippy cup, and tried soaking it in vinegar and boiling it to remove the growth, according to today.com. She spent an hour trying to get rid of the mold.

"I couldn't believe it, I took a knife and for an hour, I sat there trying to pry the thing open. Once I opened it, I was mortified! I couldn't believe that my son
was ingesting this stuff on a regular basis," Quinones posted on Facebook.

Londa Nwadike, a food and safety specialist at Kansas State University and the University of Missouri, said to simplify your sippy cups in order to make them easier to clean.

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"It is best to take the cup apart completely, including opening the anti-spill guard top, and wash it in the dishwasher," she told today.com. "Be sure
to check it when it comes out of the dishwasher to be sure that all parts are clean, and if not, you may need to wash and scrub it by hand."

Nwadike said sippy cups also can be washed by hand in warm, soapy, water with a small brush. Put the parts in a clean container filled with either hot water, or a chemical sanitizing solution of one teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water for 30 seconds.

Following the social media backlash, Tommee Tippee posted a response on its Facebook page.

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