An unopened packet of oatmeal can last between 6 months and a year if stored properly in a pantry. While bugs shouldn’t easily be able to crawl into unopened packages, they can weasel their way in—especially if the packaging is thin. That’s what happened to TikTok user Bri (@briannafaiths).
In a video with over 215,000 views, Bri tears open a Quaker Oats single-serve oatmeal packet and dumps the oats onto a plate. When the camera zooms in on the oatmeal, little black bugs are crawling all over them. Eventually, the bugs cover the entire plate. She is blaming Quaker Oats for what happened to her oatmeal, as the package was only 1-month old.
“Count your days, Quaker Oats,” she added in the text overlay.
The Daily Dot reached out to Bri via TikTok comment and direct message as well as to Quaker Oats via press email.
@briannafaiths @Quaker Oats #quaker #quakeroats #oatmeal ♬ kagefumi – –
Viewers had the same experience
Many viewers shared that they have experienced similar ordeals.
“I experienced the same thing except there are bigger bugs,” one viewer wrote.
“My fiances mother bought up the big [multipack] … it was infested,” a second shared.
“This happened to me once too. Weirdest thing they were sealed and idk how big could get inside,” a third claimed.
“Happened to me to, check for small holes because i found out they got in from that and no other oatmeal was affected,” another urged.
“Bro they JUST had a huge recall the beginning of this year,” one user revealed.
In December of 2023, the FDA recalled over 60 Quaker Oats products, including cereals, variety packs, granola bars, and cereal bars, for salmonella. Earlier in the year, it added the Quaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama bar to the list. As a result, the salmonella-contaminated Quaker Oats plant shut down and relocated.
What to do if you find weevils in your dried goods
Weevils are bugs that may infest dry goods like oats, flour, rice, and more. They can chew through packaging to get inside.
If you find an infestation, Good Housekeeping recommends discarding all infected foods and deep-cleaning the pantry. To do this, you need to temporarily empty the shelves before vacuuming them. And then you can take hot soapy water or a disinfecting spray to them. After that, wipe down the area with white vinegar.
Good Housekeeping notes you also need to be careful with the unaffected foods, as “Weevils can hide in packaging and re-emerge later.” Make sure you thoroughly inspect and clean the items that you believe have not been infected.
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