Mould Caution: Tommy Tippee Cups for Young Children

Submitted by GAtherton on 29 February 2016

 

 

A few parents have reported via this blog that this brand of cup used by young children can become mouldy. These cups are designed to prevent spillage in the event that a filled cup is tipped over and features a leak proof spout.

The offending part (the spout) is sealed so examination is not simple, the mould being hidden from view under normal operation. If the images uploaded are representative, it is easy to imagine effective cleaning could be restricted by those parts not being easy to check.

The problem seems to occur if the cup is used to hold drinks that do not flow easily through the leak proof spout – viscous fluids might be difficult to rinse through and drinks containing particles that could be trapped would leave behind small pieces of fruit pulp for example. The user would not be able to open the part to check if it is clean without some effort. There have been a few reported cases of the spout not being cleaned properly and the accumulated detritus forming a food source for mould growth (see image).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those health problems mentioned in the blog are ” nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, and skin irritation”.

The manufacturers advise that only approved drinks should be used in these cups and cups should be cleaned promptly after use – we should also point out that Tommy Tippee are not the only brand that sell ‘leak proof’ cups and that the same precautions should be carried out in all cases.

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