‘Have you noticed it doesn’t even mold?’: Walmart customer buys Great Value white bread. Then she tests to see if it’s ‘fake’
A Walmart customer shocked TikTok viewers after making a puzzling discovery about the loaf of Great Value bread she purchased. In a viral video, Cherrie (@Cherriepooh) issued a strong accusation against the retail giant’s bakery item: It’s fake.
What’s wrong with this loaf of bread from Walmart?
The TikToker claims she saw someone on the platform “exposing” bread. So she wanted to see for herself how true it was. In her clip, Cherrie smashes down a brand-new loaf of Great Value white bread.
“Check this [expletive] out,” she says as the bread immediately springs back up. “I know you [expletive] lying.”
Cherrie shares her confusion in the video’s text overlay, writing, “I thought bread was supposed to crush, not blow back up like an air mattress!”
She wonders whether bread is “not supposed to do that” while grabbing a slice. Cherrie squeezes the slice and compares it to a sponge as it returns to its original shape.
“Look at this [expletive],” she says in disbelief. “Last time I checked, bread is the most fragile part of the grocery list. What the [expletive] is this?”
An ominous audio accompanies Cherrie’s video, which has almost a million views as of writing.
Viewers think something is amiss
Cherrie isn’t the only one suspicious of Walmart’s bakery items. Viewers in the comments section pointed out other abnormal signs that the bread they were used to purchasing is now a relic of the past.
“Have you noticed it doesn’t even mold no more?” a top comment read.
One user reminisced about the texture of bread itself, commenting, “It doesn’t taste soft and fresh anymore and it doesn’t stick to the roof of my mouth anymore. It always feels dry and spongy.”
“Oh hell nah i used to roll bread up in a ball n it would STAY in ball (don’t ask why i did that i dont even know but i did),” another added.
Why do people prefer ‘moldy’ bread?
While moldy bread isn’t safe to consume, bread becoming moldy assures customers that it was made with “real” ingredients. Many now relate mold to a positive sign that their food is not drenched in preservatives. In fact, Burger King launched an advertising campaign in 2020 centered around this ideology. In its marketing, which earned 2 billion impressions, Burger King displayed Whoppers that were filled with mold. The point was to show that its food had no artificial preservatives.
This isn’t the first time the lack of mold in certain foods has drawn the ire of customers. One Quora user posed the question, “Why does bread not mold as quickly as it did when I was a kid?” in a 2023 post.
One former baker shared why this might be the case.
“Bakery science has dramatically improved,” he wrote. “While your nutritional label may not show chemical preservatives, they may show up as cultured whey, vinegar or other natural preservatives.”
Why does store-bought bread last so long?
Bread typically begins to go bad after about three to seven days. However, according to experts, the reasons why bread doesn’t mold quickly or stay smushed can be due to a variety of factors. According to Food Republic, the reason store-bought bread lasts longer depends on its ingredients.
“Emulsifiers are used in the bread-making process to add extra softness to the texture of the loaf, and to prevent bread from going stale too quickly,” the site writes.
Some of these examples include mono- and diglycerides. “Enzymes also help bread stay softer for a greater length of time. You might spot them in the ingredients list as protease, carbohydrase, or oxidase, among other terms.”
@cherriepooh Y’all am I Trippin!?! Fake Bread!?! ? What Y’all Think ? #fyp #viral #cherrie #cherriepooh #fakebread #fakefood #fake #bread ♬ I Got 5 On It – Tethered Mix from US – Michael Abels & Luniz
Should you be wary of store-bought bread?
While Cherrie side-eyeing her Great Value bread may spark question marks on TikTok, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe to consume. The additives such as the enzymes are the reason for its sponge-like consistency. And it is approved by the FDA. Still, these ingredients are what causes concerns for customers. Since bread is an “ultra processed” food per the Pocket Doctor, many prefer to avoid it or start baking their own bread, which is something several commenters under Cherrie’s video vowed to do.
The Mary Sue reached out to Cherrie via Instagram direct message and to Walmart via media relations form.
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