‘I think you discovered a new species’: Woman pours Elmhurst oat milk for latte. Then she notices something inside
Disgusted doesn’t even begin to describe how Shelby Barton (@shelbybrookeee) felt when she cut open her oat milk and found a surprise inside.
In a viral TikTok, Barton makes her coffee like she does every morning: with some Elmhurst Unsweetened Oat Milk. However, something tasted “a little off,” Barton says.
She kept drinking it and thought nothing of it. The following day, however, her coffee tasted even worse. Barton says she decided to cut open the oat milk carton and take a look.
What she saw may have very well scarred her for life.
“I’m not sure what to do about it, I’m not sure what I drank,” Barton says after urging viewers to look away if they get grossed out easily. “I’m terrified.”
Barton then shows two photos in the TikTok: one of the carton of Elmhurst cut open and the other of the substance she subsequently dumped out.
The second photo revealed a gelatinous mass with pink, purple, and black pustules. The mass resembled a petri dish of mysterious substances. In short, it made everyone gag.
People are traumatized
One user wrote, “THAT WAS A MILLION TIMES WORSE THAN I WAS EXPECTING OMG.” Another echoed the sentiment, writing, “That was actually way worse than I was expecting. I think you discovered a new species. WHAT WAS THAT?”
Some folks pointed out that “cow milk would never,” and indeed it seems uncanny that another video of oat milk containing mold went viral in the same month. In a TikTok, Mary Claire (@maryyy.claireee) shared how the same thing happened to her, but with Chobani’s oat milk. It was well before the expiration date when she found her carton contained mounds of mold inside.
Elmhurst tries to make it right
Barton shared a follow-up video claiming the company promised quality control would handle her case. The company also offered to send her product for free, but Barton says she “doesn’t think [she] wants more.”
@shelbybrookeee What in the actual hell is this??? #elmhurst #oatmilk #spoiled #moldyfood #mold #contamination @elmhurst1925 ♬ oh my god bruh oh hell na man
Is oat milk the superior plant-based milk?
Oat milk exploded in popularity as the superior non-dairy alternative in the 2020s. Memes about the plant-based milk and stereotypes about its users flooded the interwebs. Almond milk had its moment in the spotlight for quite a while before it was “canceled” due to using up too much water to produce (now, if you use almond milk, Gen Z will accuse you of not caring about the environment).
Oat milk became synonymous with being a “conscientious consumer,” and it really is nice for vegans to have another option other than rice or soy milk. But is oat milk really the best plant-based milk?
According to Stanford Medicine, not necessarily. In an article comparing all types of plant-based milk, fortified soy milk came out on top. While all of the substitutes have their pros and cons, Stanford claims soy milk is “closest to dairy” when it comes to nutrients and protein levels.
“It’s the only plant milk endorsed as a true dairy equivalent in the U.S. dietary guidelines,” the site states. “Soy milk provides the high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamin D that adults (especially women over 45) need without the lactose or saturated fat found in dairy milk.”
That hasn’t stopped Gen Z and millennials from giving up their oat milk, though. Vegconomist reported that in 2020, oat milk sales rose by 500% year-over-year.
The Mary Sue reached out to Elmhurst via website contact form and Barton via TikTok message and comment.
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