A woman says she pulled apart a Sonic jalapeño popper and found the cheese covered in what appeared to be white powdery mold

A TikTok user said she pulled apart a jalapeño popper from Sonic and found the melted cheese inside coated in a white, powdery substance that looked like mold. The creator shared a video showing her pulling the popper apart and running her finger over the cheese, as reported by BroBible.

She tagged Sonic in the caption and wrote, “Sonic, what is this? I’m so disgusted… Imagine biting into what you thought was a cheese-filled jalapeño popper and having actual powder fall out of it!” During the video, she laughed about the situation, saying, “People be in my story be like, ‘Where you get that food at?’” She added, “You hungry as *******.”

After some commenters doubted that the food came from Sonic, she posted a follow-up video showing herself shaking the popper as the white powder fell out. “As stated before I DID contact Sonic and received no real resolution. This was posted for awareness and to remind others to check their food. If it doesn’t concern you keep scrolling,” she wrote in the caption.

That is not what anyone wants inside their cheese

The footage drew strong reactions online. One person commented, “I’d have to pull my stomach inside out and put it in a wash cycle,” while another wrote, “You had that in your mouth at first? Omgg ew.”

While some molds, such as Penicillium roqueforti, are used to make foods like blue cheese, other varieties can be risky. Dr. Patrick Hickey told the BBC that people who try to cut moldy parts off food should “do so at your own risk.” He said molds do not typically lead to sudden food poisoning, but they can produce toxins known as mycotoxins.

Hickey said consuming a large amount of these toxins “may cause gastrointestinal symptoms and more serious effects, including liver or kidney failure and death.” He added that there is concern that repeated consumption of mycotoxins could lead to cumulative effects and illness.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service warns that foods with high moisture content can be contaminated below the surface, and that moldy food may also have bacteria growing near the mold. It also notes that some molds cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. The agency recommends throwing away soft cheeses, along with shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese, if mold is spotted.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify Sonic’s side of the story, as this account originates solely from the creator’s TikTok videos.