Bunnings responds after shopper's unusual find in potting mix sparks concern

Yahoo

26-02-2025

Concerns were raised by a Bunnings shopper after she made an unexpected discovery inside packaged potting mix, prompting a reminder from the retail giant to always do one thing when using such products in the garden.
The shopper bought Scotts Osmocote native premium potting mix this week and when she ripped it open, she was greeted with an unidentified growth which had spread throughout the soil. "Bought Osmocote premium potting mix from Bunnings and I just opened it and it looks mouldy," she said. "Has anyone had this happen to them?"
After sharing the discovery online, some Aussies suggested she take it back and ask for a refund. However, others pointed out it's exactly what you want to see — "You want your soil to be alive. This is good," one woman explained.
Yahoo News reached out to Bunnings which confirmed the woman's soil discovery is completely normal.
The company explained its potting mixes are made up of organic components and subsequently contain micro-organisms, meaning mould often grows inside the bags. It isn't necessarily a common occurrence, but when it does happen, shoppers shouldn't be alarmed. To ease any worried minds, Bunnings suggested Aussies are best placed to follow simple safety precautions when working in the garden — such as wearing gloves and a mask.
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This was echoed by Aussies online, with one urging other green thumbs to "wear a mask when dealing with potting mix" as "inhaling fungal spores is never good".
"Make sure you wear a mask and gloves," another said.
If customers do find mould in their soil and are unhappy, Yahoo News understands shoppers are permitted to swap or refund it in store.
Previously, health authorities have warned that inhaling contaminated potting mixtures could lead to contracting Legionnaires' disease, tetanus and a range of lung infections, due to the rich range of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms contained in most soil mixtures.
In 2022, in NSW there was an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease related to the use of potting mixture, with one woman dying and 96 other people reported as becoming seriously ill. In Queensland, there were 88 cases, two of which were fatal.
This year, 41 cases of potentially deadly melioidosis — a serious illness caused by bacteria found lurking in tropical North Australian soils and water — have been recorded in Cairns and its surrounding hinterland region.
Since the wet season kicked off in November, almost 60 people have presented to Cairns Hospital with melioidosis, and additional cases have appeared in Townsville, James Cook University microbiologist Jeffrey Warner told Yahoo News Australia last week, describing it as "unprecedented".
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