Tommee Tippee Sippee Cup Mold Problems Outlined by Many Parents on Facebook

Dozens of parents throughout the U.S. are describing problems with Tommee Tippee Sippee cups, where black mold was found inside the children’s cups, with claims posted on the manufacturer’s Facebook page indicating that the design allows mold to grow inside the sealed valve no matter how thoroughly the cup is washed.

Tommee Tippee Sippy cup mold problems are beginning to catch the attention of national media, and parents have taken to social media in an attempt to spread awareness about the risk of mold growing inside the sealed valve on the underside of the lid. No official Tommee Tippee cup recalls have been issued by the manufacturer.

According to a report by CNN, several parents claim that the mold inside the Tommee Tippee cups caused their children to become sick with respiratory issues and other common mold related side effects.

Posts on Facebook describe the frustration and anger of parents, who were unaware that the valve on the underside of the lid could come apart and requires detailed cleaning to prevent mold growth.

Millions of the Tommee Tippee Sippy cups were sold throughout the United States, and globally, over the last several years.

The mold problems in the sippy cups reportedly stem from the white valves located under the drinking lid, without providing any noticeable signs for parents or caregivers. It appears that these valves trap moisture from the liquids consumed through the cup, and can produce mold.

Several of the complaints posted on Tommee Tippee’s Facebook page indicate that the valve was extremely difficult to remove, with some parents stating it took over 15 minutes either sawing or prying the valve off of the lid before finding the entire valve covered in black mold in cups their children had been drinking from.

Parent and customer, Stephanie Phelps, posted her frustration on the company’s Facebook page on Wednesday, showing an image of two separate Tommee Tippee Sippy cup valves she had opened that were covered in mold. Phelps stated she has bought several of the cups and had taken them apart after each use, but noticed the “stopper” valve could not be removed, which caused her to stop using the cups due to a suspicion that it could grow mold. Phelps’s social media post detailed her frustration with the design of the cups valve stating the mold growth in not from lack of cleaning but from a poor design.

Another Facebook poster, Amanda Townshend, a mother from Lacey, Washington, reported to CNN that her 16-month old son had been using the cups for about 10 months and almost always had a stuffy nose after drinking from the Tommee Tippee Sippy cups. After seeing social media posts about the mold growths Townshend stated she broke open the valve with a hammer to find it covered in mold. Townshend told CNN that she took her son to his doctor that day. Her son was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, which the pediatrician said could have been caused by the mold exposure.

Mold can cause a wide variety of symptoms such as sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, throat and nose but individuals with a mold allergy can be affected by much harsher symptoms. Those with mold allergies can experience wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness that may develop into more severe conditions the exposure is prolonged and left untreated.

Although the manufacturer has not recalled Tommee Tippee cups due to the mold problems, a statement released on both Facebook and http://www.tommeetippee.us/ apologized to the customers, and indicates that a new cup product will be launched in the next few months that allows easier access to the valve for cleaning. Until then, the company has uploaded a link on their website to allow parents to request a free see-through valve, which replaces the current white one, allowing parents to visually see if any liquids have become trapped that could grow mold. Customers with further questions are being asked to call the Tommee Tippee Careline at 1-877-248-6922.