Grabbing a box of Velveeta mac and cheese usually means dinner’s about to be quick, comforting, and predictable. But for two Ohio women, the experience took a turn.
In a viral TikTok with over 745,800 views, creator Elle (@elleschmitz11) films herself and a friend inspecting seven separate boxes of Velveeta mac and cheese. All of them appear to have the same issue: fuzzy mold growing right at the top, clinging to the elbow pasta.
‘Velveeta, What Happened?’
“Velveeta, we have a question,” Elle says at the start of the clip.
She shows seven boxes of Velveeta Shells and Cheese boxes, all open, with something seriously wrong with them: mold.
“We may have bought a lot of—We love you. OK?” she continues, before pointing to the mold.
As she shows each box, we can see the pasta stuck to the cardboard, with visible patches of mold.
“So I went to make my dinner tonight, um, cause we have no other food, all right?” she says. Then she adds, “And um, now we have no food.”
The camera zooms in on the best-by date: November 30, 2025. Still more than a month away.
There Aren’t Many Reports Like This Online
What makes this even stranger is how rare it is. While some Velveeta products occasionally get criticized for shelf stability, mold usually isn’t the issue. In fact, several people online have wondered if Velveeta mac and cheese ever goes bad.
“Is Velveeta cup mac and cheese secretly a non-perishable?” one Reddit user asked after cooking an expired pack that turned out just fine.
The Likely Culprit Is Water Damage
Several viewers offered theories in the comments, with one common explanation: water damage during shipping.
“Girls the boxes had water damage when was shipped and grew mold,” one person theorizes.
Another viewer suggests Kraft should rethink its packaging. “This is why they need to keep the pasta in a plastic pouch and not just in the cardboard box like they used to.”
A third comment sums up the bigger concern: “What’s even more disturbing about this is that pasta is usually good for like a year or two after the best buy date.”
@elleschmitz11 What’s going on chat ? @VELVEETA #fyp #ohio #fml #veleeta @Rachel Roblin ♬ original sound – Elle Schmitz
Velveeta mac and cheese boxes don’t always contain sealed pasta pouches. If moisture gets in, even dry pasta can become a breeding ground for mold. Based on what Elle shows in the video, that seems to be the case here.
“$1 off coupon is in the mail,” one person jokes.
Elle hasn’t posted a follow-up yet, and it’s unclear if she returned the products or filed a formal complaint.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Velveeta via email and contacted Elle through TikTok messages.
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