Mum-of-one Allison Smith, 34, says she has been left feeling ‘violated’ after she claims she had been using a box of mouldy tampons without knowing.
Allison, from Vernon in Canada, has been using Tampax applicator tampons for most of her life but noticed something was wrong when they suddenly became difficult to insert.
She removed one of the tampons from its plastic applicator to insert it by hand, but noticed that it looked ‘weirdly discoloured’.
On closer inspection, Allison claims the tampon was full of black mould and yellow stains.
She opened the remaining 18 tampons that had been left from the box of 36 tampons, and discovered that 11 of them were also hiding mould and stains, with just seven not affected.
Photographer: Allison Smith/Caters News Agency
Provider: Allison Smith/Caters News Agency
Source: Allison Smith/CATERS NEWS AGENCY
Allison had already used 17 of the 36 tampons in the box in the previous days and weeks, and was ‘disgusted’ at the thought of having unknowingly used mouldy tampons.
Allison said: ‘I’d had a little trouble with this new box of tampons before, it became difficult to push them through the plastic applicator.
‘I decided to push it all the way out so I could insert it manually, and then I noticed the black stuff all of it.
‘At first, I thought it might have just been dye from the blue applicator, but then I looked closer and realised it was mould.
‘I fully opened the tampon and realised it was all inside too. It was so gross and made me feel really nauseous.
‘I took out the rest that I had, and I started opening them. There were only about seven that were not affected with mould in the remaining box.
‘There is no way for you to know. You just pop it in and that’s that.
‘I felt totally violated. There is a huge possibility that I put a mouldy tampon inside of me.
‘I felt really disgusted. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it.
‘I bought these tampons no more than three months ago, and I keep them under my sink in the bathroom in a sealed container.
‘I thought that something I’m putting inside my body would be safe. The scary thing is I could have used up all the mouldy ones without even knowing.
‘I would imagine it would make you sick over time.’
The mum posted photographs of her shocking find on social media where it was quickly shared more than 50,000 times in a few days.
Allison has since reached out to Tampax who confirmed they would investigate further into the issue while also offering her a credit to purchase more tampons – which she said she will not use.
She said: ‘I showed the photos to my friends, and they told me I should put it online so all my friends and family could see the photo.
‘I never expected to go as viral as it did, but hopefully it can help raise awareness.
‘I phoned Tampax, and they said they were sorry and that they would take it seriously.
‘They said they would send me a $20 gift card to buy more tampons. But I don’t want to use them anymore after what has happened.
‘People have reached out and have recommend a menstrual cup instead of tampons.
‘I’d been thinking about that for a while, as it’s more environmentally friendly. So I might give that a go.
‘All I know is that I’ll never use these kinds of tampons again.’
A spokesperson for Procter & Gamble, the company that owns Tampax, said: ‘Nothing is of greater importance than the safety of those using our tampons.
‘They have been used safely by millions of women over the past 80 years. We have been in touch with the person who originally contacted us and sent a reimbursement card and mailer to retrieve the carton and product so we can analyze the discoloration.
‘We have not received it back from the consumer yet, but we do expect it will take several days (or weeks) given the holiday and customs backlogs between Canada and the US.
‘There has never been a confirmed case of mould-related contamination in our manufacturing site in Auburn Maine but we will work to fully understand this complaint more after we analyze the product to understand the nature of the discoloration and whether it was exposed to water after it left our manufacturing facility.
‘We operate with the highest quality and safety standards and undertake every effort to assure our products are thoroughly evaluated before we put them in the marketplace.
‘Our plant Quality Assurance team looks at every production step from when the materials arrive at the plant, the tampon making and the shipping as it leaves the plant.
‘We essentially track the entire journey of a box of tampons until it reaches the retailer’s warehouse.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/21/mum-shocked-discover-mould-stains-lurking-tampons-11944428/
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