A Johannesburg mother has been left horrified after discovering mould inside a pie she bought for her child from Food Lover’s Market, sparking public outrage and prompting an official investigation by the popular supermarket.
Entrepreneur and content creator Nicole Koopman, known on TikTok as @cola_pops, shared her shocking experience in a viral video that has since been viewed nearly 3 million times. Nicole purchased the pie from the Food Lover’s Market branch at Camaro Crossing, Johannesburg, intending to give it to her daughter. However, she was appalled to find visible mould growing inside the pastry.
In her video, Nicole expressed her disgust, saying, “This pie smelled funny,” before cutting it open to reveal the shocking sight. Concerned about her daughter’s health, Nicole immediately sought assistance from store staff. However, what followed only intensified her frustration.
According to Nicole, when she confronted management, she was advised to take her daughter to a doctor and return with the medical bill. “I want answers,” she firmly told the staff, demanding accountability for the dangerous discovery.
What made matters worse was the response from the store’s bakery manager. He explained that the pies sold at their store were not baked on-site but sourced from an external supplier. Adding to Nicole’s concerns, the manager admitted that he was uncertain whether the pies were regularly checked, rotated, or replaced as part of standard food safety procedures.
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This admission raised further questions about Food Lover’s Market’s quality control systems. Nicole, like many viewers of her video, questioned how a mouldy pie could go unnoticed in a fresh food store. “Why are you not checking it? How is mould getting in?” she asked in the now-viral clip.
The video triggered widespread outrage among South African consumers. Social media users flooded the comments section with concerns about food safety standards at Food Lover’s Market. Many shared their own negative experiences or expressed fears about purchasing baked goods from the retailer in the future.
In response to the backlash, Food Lover’s Market issued a statement confirming that they had reached out directly to Nicole to apologise. The company also revealed that it had launched an internal investigation to determine the cause of the mould contamination. Furthermore, they confirmed that the pie had been sent for laboratory testing, and they were awaiting results to provide clarity on the source of the problem.
Food Lover’s Market emphasised its commitment to food safety, reassuring customers that corrective actions would be taken once the investigation concluded.
For now, Nicole and her supporters are demanding not only answers but visible changes to prevent similar incidents from happening to other shoppers in the future. The incident has sparked a broader conversation on the importance of stringent quality control measures in South Africa’s food industry.
Consumers have been encouraged to report any similar incidents and to remain vigilant when purchasing perishable food products.