Mum angry after plastic lodges in child’s throat
A mother whose daughter choked on a piece of plastic from a punnet of Yoplait yoghurt is incensed at being offered vouchers by the company. Melissa Farrell said she was ‘‘shaken to the core’’ after the piece of plastic became lodged in the throat of her 4-year-old daughter Eden, who came to her in a distressed state with the plastic blocking her airways.
‘‘I left her with her yoghurt for two minutes and she came in and said, ‘Mummy, my mouth is sore’,’’ said Farrell.
‘‘I opened up her mouth and a piece of white plastic was nestled just by her tonsils. Eden said, ‘It was in my yoghurt’.’’
The plastic, the size of a large thumbnail, had been in the bottom of Yoplait’s Seriously Smooth yoghurt. It could not be manually removed, and Eden was rushed to Waitakere Hospital where a specialist from the Starship Children’s Hospital was called in to provide gas to relax her.
She was so distressed it took five people to hold her down so the plastic could be removed, said Farrell. The ordeal lasted about seven hours.
‘‘If it kept moving it would have blocked her airwaves. When they pulled it out the plastic was red with blood.’’
Farrell said that when she alerted Yoplait, she was told they would recall the product and offered her
If it kept moving it would have blocked her airways. When they pulled it out the plastic was red with blood. Melissa Farrell
free yoghurt.
A representative from the Palmerston North production plant visited the family, and Farrell said she was told an investigation would be launched at the site.
She also said she handed the pottle over at the time, and expected that it would be used for analysis.
‘‘Neither of those things have happened. They haven’t put out so much as a press release. I haven’t even got a progress report,’’ she said.
Robyn Riley, a spokeswoman for Lion Dairy & Drinks, which owns the Yoplait brand, said a thorough review found the episode was an ‘‘isolated incident’’.
‘‘We have notified all relevant authorities including the Ministry for Primary Industries and we have also kept the family informed of the progress,’’ she said.
‘‘Unfortunately, the piece of plastic found in the yoghurt has not been able to be returned to us for analysis.’’
Riley said that since being alerted to the incident on Monday, the company had been in regular contact with the family to provide updates and check on Eden’s health.
A spokesman for MPI confirmed the company had notified the ministry, and it was monitoring the company’s response.
‘‘If, as a result of the investigation, a widespread problem with the product is identified, recalling the product from the marketplace may be an appropriate action.’’
Farrell said Eden was expected to make a full recovery, but the ordeal had shaken the family.
‘‘I keep hearing Eden’s phantom crying and think, what if next time it’s a baby? I feel like I have a responsibility.’’