The gently bent, golden arms of elbow pasta that most would know for its inclusion in dishes like macaroni and cheese have a very specific appearance.
So it comes as no surprise that someone would be upset when the pasta is a brown-gray color. Especially if it was fresh out of the box.
In a video that has drawn over 150,000 views on TikTok, cooking content creator Leighton (@leighton742 on TikTok) shows viewers the box of pasta she purchased that is definitely not standard fare from pasta brand Barilla.
“What is going on?” she asks. “This is a new box of pasta. What is this? Why is it like that Devin? Is there something in the box?”
A concerning mixture
When the other person in the video responds in the negative, she shows a closer view of the pasta to the camera.
“Why is it like that?” she says. “What does that mean?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @leighton742 as well as to Barilla via email regarding the video.
Can dry, boxed pasta go bad?
While the low moisture content of dry pasta means it does have a typically long shelf life, storing it improperly can expose it to moisture, which provides a perfect environment for mold growth.
While it’s not clear whether the box of pasta in the video was stored improperly, it could explain the difference in color between the golden pasta and the grayish pasta that raised concerns for the poster.
How can I tell if my boxed pasta has turned bad?
While pasta has a pretty long shelf life at about one to two years, there are some pretty clear signs it has gone bad.
One is the texture of the pasta. If the texture changes, or it begins to crack, it is probably a little too far out from its expiration date to really be eating.
Another is the color of the pasta, which can indicate mold growth. Just as with any other food, the growth of mold can produce colors ranging from green and white to orange and black, depending on the type of mold.
Viewers weigh in
Several viewers suggested that the concerning appearance of the pasta was due to moisture exposure. This means allowing mold to grow on the pasta while it sat on the shelf. This could have happened either in the poster’s pantry or on the shelf at the supermarket.
“Maybe it got wet during transport?” one commenter wrote. “I’ve never seen such thing omg.”
@leighton742 @barilla i trusted you. #fail #pasta #macandcheese #why #pastatiktok #recipe ♬ original sound – Leighton
“Looks like it got wet and they still put it on the shelf to mold,” another echoed.
“Got wet,” one said. “That could happen from manufacturing to the grocery store.”
Others suggest there might not actually be anything wrong with the pasta.
“Looks like whole wheat mixed with regular pasta,” one commenter wrote.
“Looks like maybe the pasta wasn’t dry all the way before they mixed it with another batch and boxed it?” another said.
“Looks like it has wheat or GF mixed in,” one user wrote.
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