Mum’s gross find in beloved instant rice product

A mother was left on the verge of being sick when she opened a staple item to serve to her children.

A mother was left on the verge of being sick when she opened a staple item and discovered the product was filled with mould.

The mum opened a packet of SunRice’s 90 second Jasmine Rice she had recently purchased from the supermarket. But, when she opened it up, she was shocked at what she found.

Inside, the normally “fluffy and fragrant rice” was hardened. It was also covered in yellow and black mould.

“SunRice is usually the go-to in our house,” the woman told news.com.au.

“I was about to serve it with salmon for my kids’ dinner and it was completely mouldy. I nearly vomited.”

The woman pointed out the expiry date was for November 2025 — just under a year away.

A mum was using a packet of 90 second rice. Picture: Supplied

The mum, who said this was a staple product for so many Australians, contacted SunRice over her gross find.

“Mould can develop in different ways. Most commonly if the packaging was damaged through transit or storage, oxygen can leak into the product causing mould,” an email from the company read.

“Even through the tiniest pinhole or crack in the seal — mould could get the chance to grow.

“The tiniest piece of rice caught in the sealing process during manufacture can also cause lack of seal integrity resulting in mould forming.”

The woman said along with the “long winded response” she was also given a $10 voucher to replace what she’d bought. Both Woolworths and Coles sell the packets for $3.50.

A spokesperson from SunRice told news.com.au it prides itself on high-quality products.

“The quality of our products is our highest priority, and we take quality assurance testing seriously. Every batch of our SunRice Jasmine rice goes through robust testing including seal integrity checks and thermal processing checks. Thermal processing helps ensure the food safety of microwave rice pouches,” the spokesperson said.

“Any batch that does not meet the minimum standard of time and temperature of cooking is rejected.

“Once packaged, further testing is conducted for sensory and microbial assessment.”

It said without further information it could not comment directly on this instance and apologised to the customer.

But she found a huge clump of mould in it. Picture: Supplied

The expiry was in November 2025. Picture: Supplied

SunRice, also known as Ricegrowers Limited, pools and exports all rice grown in Australia. It exports to 60 countries — including some in the Middle East and Pacific islands. Nearly all of Australia’s rice grows in the NSW Riverina region.

The NSW government passed legislation in August to increase competition in the rice industry. Areas such as the Northern Rivers, weren’t restricted by agreements from September 1. This meant that rice crops could be sold into domestic and international markets without restriction.

“Our Government recognised things needed to change for NSW’s rice industry, after listening to the rice industry growers from across the state in both the Northern Rivers and in the Riverina,” Tara Moriarty, Minister for Agriculture, said at the time.

“I am proud to say we have delivered what rice growers and the industry requested was in their industry’s best interests, making it easier to get this world-class rice into global markets.

“The Government’s setting up of a Stakeholder Reference Group will positively contribute to the sector’s transition and advise on options for using any residual funding from the winding up of the Rice Marketing Board to ensure it benefits the NSW rice industry.”

Originally published as Mum’s gross find in beloved instant rice product