A Perth woman has been left horrified and fearing for her health after discovering a foul, black substance inside a carton of almond milk purchased from discount supermarket giant Aldi.
Morning Coffee Turns to Horror
Lauren, the owner of Western Australian swimwear label Lole Swim, was preparing her morning coffee on Thursday, 8 January 2026, when her routine turned into a nightmare. As she poured from a one-litre carton of Goodness Barista Almond Milk bought from the Aldi store in Success, a mysterious black object slid out.
Initially using a fork to retrieve the item from her milk frother, Lauren's first terrifying thought was that it resembled a slug. The situation worsened when she began to dispose of the remaining liquid. "I noticed more dark coloured chunks," she told PerthNow, which prompted her to cut open the packaging to investigate further.
Shocking Discovery Sparks Hysteria
The full extent of the contamination was revealed at the bottom of the empty container. "When I lifted it open and saw the huge black clump, I immediately screamed and started crying," Lauren recounted. Her husband rushed from their bedroom, fearing she was injured due to her hysterical state.
While her initial shock led her to believe it could be a dead rat, closer inspection by the couple suggested the mass was a large growth of mould. The discovery was particularly distressing because Lauren had consumed milk from the same carton just the day before.
"The reason I was so hysterical is because I knew I had drunk it the day before, and I immediately felt sick at the thought," she said. "I was also so worried about getting sick from it as I know mould is so toxic to the body."
Aldi's Response and Calls for Change
After raising the issue with Aldi, Lauren received a formal response from the retailer. The statement acknowledged that "incidents concerning sealing integrity can occur in the production process or during transportation and handling."
It explained that a compromised seal, which can be microscopic and invisible to consumers, allows oxygen to enter and mould to grow. The response concluded that it was impossible to confirm when the seal on her specific product failed.
Unsatisfied, Lauren is now calling for the product to be recalled and for its packaging to be urgently redesigned. "This means to me that they should be redesigning the packaging to be more secure if they know this is a possible outcome," she argued. "How can consumers be aware that a product may be unsafe for consumption if there’s no possible way to tell?"
PerthNow has contacted Aldi Australia for further comment on the incident.
