A woman is urging Ro-Tel to “get it together” after her unexpired can of diced tomatoes and green onions contained what appeared to be mold. Viewers are saying that her viral TikTok serves as a good reminder to always inspect canned goods before dumping them into pots and pans.
“Y’all, I’m cooking and I opened this can of Ro-Tel,” TikToker Melissa Smith (@mbsmith4) starts in her video. Her TikTok has 211,000 views.
“Look at this date,” she says, showing a can of Ro-Tel that features the expiration date of July 26, 2026. The content creator reads aloud the date, putting emphasis on the year to hammer home that the can should still be good, as it still has a year and a half left before expiration.
But then the TikToker showcases what’s inside the can. It appears to be full of fuzzy mold. “Look at this. Disgusting,” she says angrily. “Get it together, people.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Smith via TikTok comment and direct message, as well as to Conagra Brands via press email.
Viewers have experienced this as well
The video has racked up over 211,000 views. Viewers weighed in with their own horror stories.
“Me blindly dumping a whole MOLDED bag of shredded cheese into my mac&cheese on thanksgiving because there was a hole in the bag I never noticed,” one of the top commenters said.
“I had that happen with coconut milk. Can date was good and when I opened it, it was all dried out and solid!” another shared.
“I recently had a can of the same rotel that was bad as well !!!” a third exclaimed.
Another viewer urged Smith to contact the company, but Smith said in response that she felt it wasn’t worth it. “It’s OK it’s not that expensive. I just threw the [can] away. I had more I always keep that on hand. It’s just at the expiration date was so far away. I was shocked,” she said.
What could’ve caused this?
The USA Emergency Supply notes that mold in unopened cans is unusual and usually means that “there was either a flaw in the” canning process procedure, “or something affected the jar or can after the fact to break its seal.”
Dietitian Lillian Craggs-Dino, DHA, RDN, LDN, told the Cleveland Clinic that if you ingest mold, “you’ll likely be [OK]” and that you just need to monitor yourself for the remainder of that day.
Such symptoms you need to keep an eye out for are “shortness of breath, nausea, an elevated temperature or diarrhea,” according to the medical outlet.
In the event you do experience symptoms, it is recommended that you get medical help.
@mbsmith4 ♬ original sound – Melissa Smith
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