A mould-infested pack of rice recently bought from a supermarket has prompted a customer to warn people to double-check their food.

Simon Feldman opened the sealed bag to cook as part of his dinner last Wednesday (November 20) only to be greeted by “a hideous sight and smell”.

It had only been bought from Aldi, in Dalton Way, Watford, a few days earlier and checking other food, as well as the inside of the cupboard, they found there was no sign of mould on anything else.

(Image: Simon Feldman) “The whole bag was crawling with mould and absolutely stunk,” Mr Feldman, who is in his late 30s added.

“We we’re absolutely shocked. We didn’t think this was something you would get from a big-name supermarket.”

Answering his complaint two days later, Aldi apologised, offered him a voucher, and said that he could bring it back to the store for a full refund.

“We thought that was quite ridiculous,” he added, questioning why anyone would have kept a block of mould in their house for days.

“We put it straight in the bin. It was disgusting. There was no way we were bringing it back.”

Asked to describe the smell, the TfL employee and former councillor said: “It was like someone’s really dirty cheese. Cheese that someone had brought along to a Christmas party that stank.”

The couple’s biggest concern is whether anyone else may have bought a product with similar problems that may not be so obvious.

(Image: Simon Feldman) They urged anyone buying sealed products from Aldi in Watford to check their food carefully before eating it, even if it is within the sell-by date. The best before date on the back of the packet had been January 14, 2026.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “We have apologised to Mr Feldman that on this occasion, the product did not meet our usual high standards.

“Although very rare, incidents like this can occasionally occur if packaging is damaged at any point before the product is consumed, as the contents may be exposed to air."

(Image: Simon Feldman) (Image: Simon Feldman)