The Sea Moss normally smells terrible and looks dark, but after washing it really well and soaking it several times (like the instructions state), it won't smell anymore and will get lighter.
Sea Moss will sometimes look as if it is moldy. That’s not mold, that's minerals from the ocean, like the white buildup in your shower. This stuff is literally right out of the ocean, it needs to be soaked, washed and rinsed really well several times in distilled water. The little white strings are various fibrous seaweed. They are not worms. It's balanced sea minerals, so it cannot be compared to isolated unhealthy sodium chloride (table salt) there is a big difference.
Every bag is a different plant with different minerals. Nature is non-uniform, so the color, smell, and textures vary in every bag. The drying process and the bags are the same. Heavy Metal testing is done on every batch.