We’ve all seen the images that occasionally go around the internet of fast-food products that look perfect despite being months or years old.
For example, one guy said he kept a McDonald’s burger for 14 years, and it still hasn’t gotten moldy. Another woman showed off how her 20-year-old McDonald’s meal looked eerily similar to the day she bought it.
However, not all fast food meets this same fate. Leave a meal without preservatives out for long enough, and it’s likely to attract mold.
One woman on TikTok recently shared how moldy her fast-food meal got after leaving it out—but commenters think something isn’t adding up.
What’s Wrong With This Woman’s Culver’s Order?
In a video with over 3.3 million views, TikTok user Julia (@juliaalexandra.22) shows a package of fries from Culver’s.
“You forget Culver’s fries for 48hrs..and this happens,” she writes in the video’s overlay text.
The fries shown in the video are covered in white mold. While most of the fries are covered by the mold, the few visible fries have spots of green on them.
“That is disgusting,” she says. “My kids got Culver’s two days ago. They never finished up the fries and left the box out standing.”
“No fridge for two days, and this is what I open up the box to,” she continues. She notes in a comment that she is not blaming the chain for this result and that her family eats there frequently.
What Happened To These Culver’s Fries?
Immediately, commenters became concerned.
“You should get your house checked out. That’s way too much mold for 2 days,” wrote a user.
“This is not something food would do in two days,” echoed another. “I would have your home checked for mold spores.”
In response, the TikToker wrote in a comment that she believed she had an explanation for this.
“There was condensation collection inside the box. 43% humidity level and house temp between 68-72. Set out next to the stove,” she wrote. “I have plenty of other food sitting out and it doesnt happen. Its all from the condensation.”
What Explains This Amount Of Mold Growth?
Without further details, it’s impossible to know the true reason behind the substantial mold growth.
That said, going solely off of what was said by Julia, it’s possible that there’s more going on here than she believes.
Others who have left french fries out note that, while the fries did end up growing mold, it took substantially longer than 48 hours. Additionally, though Julia seems to believe she had an especially high humidity level, it’s well within the average for a home.
Given this, there are a few possible options. First, Julia could have mold spores in the area, as several commenters suggested. Second, she could simply be misremembering how long the french fries have been out. Finally, there could be some mold contamination that, as Julia suggests, simply found ideal conditions and rapidly grew.
@juliaalexandra.22 Culvers Fries. How does that happen? #culvers #fries #foodtok #kidsbelike #parenting101
Commenters Don’t Believe It
In the comments section, users expressed concern and doubt about Julia’s claim. That said, others claimed that the presence of mold on the fries was a sign that they were not filled with the preservatives commonly found in many other fast food products.
“It’s real food. Real food molds,” declared a user.
“Wtf its suppose to do….stay fresh?” asked another.
“Go to McDonalds if you don’t want it to mold,” wrote a third.
In several follow-up videos, Julia shows herself cleaning the area. She also wrote in a comment that she checked for mold.
We’ve reached out to Culver’s via email and Julia via TikTok DM and comment.