Woman says she bit into a Sonic jalapeño popper expecting melted cheese, then saw what fell out: ‘I’m so disgusted’

TikToker says a Sonic jalapeño popper she opened up had white powder coating the melted cheese inside. According to BroBible, she showed the popper in a TikTok video, where the cheese looks covered in a white, powdery coating.

In the video, she laughs as she holds the pepper up to the camera and touches the melted cheese. She says people have asked her “Where you get that food at?” after seeing it on her story. In the caption, she tags Sonic Drive-In and writes, “Sonic what is this.” She adds, “I’m so disgusted,” followed by “imagine biting into what you thought was a cheese filled jalapeño popper and having actual powder fall out of it!” All details are based on her TikTok video and its caption.

According to Sonic, its Ched ‘R’ Peppers are breaded jalapeño peppers fried until crispy and filled with melty cheddar cheese. Customers can add a sauce of their choice for dipping. Other customers have posted similar food finds. An Ohio woman shared a video of a black ring on her Chipotle bowl that she suspected was mold.

Takeout food quality is a recurring concern for customers

A customer posted a moldy-looking Texas Roadhouse potato that was sent home with his wife in a takeout order. He described a nearly black skin and black, burnt, moldy chunks inside. He called it “by far the worst potato I have ever seen.” The chain stated its potatoes are foil-wrapped and not cut open before packaging, and that occasionally it receives a bad potato. It called the experience unfortunate for the guests.

According to the CDC, the U.S. sees about 800 reported foodborne disease outbreaks each year, based on surveillance data from 2009 to 2015. More than half are associated with restaurants and similar settings, such as delis, banquet facilities and schools. The agency estimates that the most common foodborne pathogens cause about 9.9 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 931 deaths a year.

Health departments conduct environmental assessments during outbreak investigations to learn how and why they happen, the agency states, and it maintains a system for collecting that data. The agency puts the cost of foodborne illness at about $74.7 billion a year. Restaurant practices and policies can raise or lower the risk of outbreaks, it adds.

The agency also provides resources for restaurant managers meant to help them prevent foodborne illness, along with free food safety training on the environmental causes of foodborne illness. For a problem with restaurant food, FoodSafety.gov advises people to call the health department in their city, county or state.

It states that reports to local health departments help officials identify potential outbreaks, so they can control them and prevent future ones. It points to a federal list of state and territorial health department websites for contact details.

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