Dive Summary:
- An Indiana State University research project launched after reports of fungal mats in Capri Sun drinks found five different types of mold in the popular kids' drink.
- Over the past year, senior biology major Leah Horn filtered Capri Sun drinks through a vacuum in search of fungal microbes, finding three in the tropical punch flavor, one in the Roaring Waters flavor and one in the fruit punch flavor.
- Tests to determine the exact species of fungi are still ongoing, and Horn and Kathleen Dannelly, an associate professor of microbiology heading the research, also plan to test a theory that the molds grow in compromised packages.
From the article:
... According to Kathleen Dannelly, associate professor microbiology, she believes the culprit is the fact that the beverage does not contain any preservatives, which allows lots of fungi to survive the drink process.
She became interested in researching the drink after a television reporter contacted her regarding an object found in a package of Capri Sun by a Terre Haute family. "A father had brought it to him and was very upset about what was this large ugly thing in his child's drink," she said. "So we took it from there and determined it was a fungal mat." Further investigation found other online reports of other fungal mats found in Capri Sun. ...