A Walmart shopper went viral on TikTok after calling out the multinational retail corporation for apparently selling moldy Kraft cheese.
Birdie (@birdie.sahm), who posted the video exposing Walmart in mid-August, said that the selling of the soiled food is one reason why she no longer shops for groceries via an app or online. In her clip, which has amassed more than 2.6 million views as of Tuesday afternoon, Birdie shows viewers a shelf full of Kraft Colby Jack Cheese blocks. According to Walmart’s website, a 16-ounce block of cheese can cost more than $5.
But the cheese wasn’t ready to eat. Each block, as Birdie showcases, appears moldy and far from usable.
“Don’t worry I had an employee pull them from the shelf,” Birdie wrote in the text overlay of her clip. “Let’s just say I didn’t buy ANYTHING that requires refrigeration. Do better Walmart.”
Birdie notes, too, that she found the food at a Walmart location in Pace, Florida.
Walmart under fire for selling unusable food
This is certainly not the first time that a Walmart customer has accused the store of selling poor-quality food.
In September, another customer said she bought a 3-pound block of sliced American cheese that was covered in tiny scratches and etchings. It also had a distinct shiny, nearly glittery, sheen.
In the end, the customer said that she planned on returning the cheese to Walmart and requesting a refund. She also said that she won’t be buying the same cheese again out of fear that a new one will have the same issue.
But cheese isn’t the only Walmart product under scrutiny. Some viewers say that the store’s produce is also littered with problems. For example, in June, a customer said she bought a watermelon that, when washed, started falling apart. And in July, another woman said she found an insect on a cauliflower head she bought from the chain.
@birdie.sahm Moldy cheese and not the good kind 🤢🤮🤮 do better Walmart Pace, FL! #walmart #food #cheese #nottoday #kraft #dobetter #groceryshopping #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp @Walmart ♬ original sound – Dalton Smiley
Why do customers shop at Walmart despite issues with its food?
For years now, Walmart has served as the go-to grocery store for millions of shoppers across the country—thanks to its competitive prices and vast selection of items. And unlike other large grocery chains, like Costco and Sam’s Club, Walmart is not exclusively membership-based.
According to a 2023 write-up from AARP, Walmart also sells some of the cheapest groceries. AARP conducted a story in which it visited an Aldi, Walmart, and Stop & Shop to compare prices on most everyday purchases. The totals, it said, excluded coupons, loyalty discounts, and taxes.
Still, it found that Walmart “came in first or second when it comes to price.”
Customers react
In the comments section of Birdie’s video, some viewers suggested that they weren’t surprised by her findings. Some said that they, too, were once close to purchasing Walmart food that they later found was unusable.
“I even went to Walmart and they had moldy bread in the bakery area,” one woman said.
“I had seen moldy biscuits at WM took pictures and said something saw them there 3 days later,” another shared. “Still on the shelf.”
“[At] our walmart the strawberries were covered in mold,” a third person wrote. “Found a green fruit drink that expired 2 years ago on the shelf. Walmart just doesn’t care.”
Others, meanwhile, pointed out that these problems aren’t unique to Walmart. They said that other grocery store chains are similarly guilty of selling rotten food.
“Sadly Publix isn’t much better anymore with their slimy brown salads,” one customer wrote.
“I’ve seen it at Whole Foods! I handed it to the cashier,” another proclaimed. “I’d hate to get home and have moldy cheese for dinner.”
“I was ordering pick ups from a bulk store called BJs during the pandemic and would always get moldy fruit in my order,” a third person said. “Got fully thawed frozen food too.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Birdie via TikTok comment and to Walmart through its online contact form.
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