The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging owners of a popular Mocka cot to check it for mould after the consumer watchdog received a number of reports of “potentially dangerous” mould on the cots base.
Owned by furniture company Adairs, Mocka released a statement acknowledging the issue was “very concerning” and had commissioned laboratory testing alongside a detailed investigation to understand the factors that have caused the mould growth and said the reports started after a recent bout of wild weather.
While an official recall has not been issued, the consumer watch dog advises anyone who identifies mould on their Mocka cot to immediately cease use and contact Mocka Australia and the ACCC.
The country’s east coast has waded through an onslaught of rain this year, with Sydney weathering its annual rainfall little more than three months into the year, resulting in perfect conditions for mould growth.
The extent of the issue was first publicised by Sydney mother Katie Williams who discovered a particularly bad case of mould on the bottom of her five-month-old daughter’s cot and sounded the alarm on social media.
“Since talking about it, I have spoken to hundreds of parents that either has had this happen to their Mocka cot or know someone it has happened to,” she wrote on Instagram, accompanied by photographs of other mouldy Mocka cots.
“If your child is showing symptoms of mould exposure like congestion, sneezing, coughing, respiratory distress, allergies or other irritations, please contact a doctor as soon as possible,” the ACCC statement said.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
