Anyone who’s ever worked in an office can tell you that the lunch break is a sacred time. For anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, you’re free from the obligations of work and can finally take a little bit of time for yourself.
While many people would love to be able to use this time to escape the office, the distance between people’s homes and work—and the sheer expense of eating outside food—means that many end up spending their lunch break at work, only in a cafeteria or breakroom.
For those stuck in the breakroom, a company might offer vending machines where workers can buy snacks. However, these snacks aren’t always as good as they initially look. That was noted in a recent TikTok video from user Lashonda (@shondaterec1), who spotted Hillshire meat.
What’s Wrong With This Hillshire Meal?
In a video with over 114,000 views, the TikToker shows a vending machine.
“I did want a snack until I noticed that one product is darker than the other one,” she says.
In the video, she shows two packages of Hillshire’s Snacking Genoa Salame & Cheddar Cheese Small Plates. In one of them, the salami is almost black.
“What’s that all about?” she asks.
In the caption of the video, she adds, “Guess I won’t ever eat out of that machine definitely need to start back bringing my fruit cause this ain’t that.”
Is This Normal?
For those concerned why such a product is in a vending machine in the first place, Lashonda notes in a comment that the vending machine is refrigerated and should be able to keep items fresh.
However, that doesn’t appear to have been effective with this package of Hillshire Genoa Salame & Cheddar Cheese. On the company’s website, one can see that the salami is supposed to be a deep red color—not the black that could be seen in Lashonda’s video.
This means that it is likely the salami has gone bad. While salami takes longer to go bad than other meats, it’s not impossible. As noted by Better Homes & Gardens, unopened dry salami can be safely stored without refrigeration for up to six weeks, and the USDA states it can last indefinitely in the refrigerator.
However, once salami has been sliced, bacteria can access the meat, reducing its shelf life to about three weeks in the fridge or up to two months in the freezer. As this salami is sliced, there’s a chance that the airtight seal on the package had been broken and that the salami began to mold.
While not especially common with this product, two reviews on the company’s website note the presence of moldy salami. And on Amazon, some reviewers have noted quality control issues.
Commenters Share Their Thoughts
In the comments section, many users stated that they didn’t believe this vending machine to be properly maintained.
“303 been in there since 2012 look like,” wrote a user.
“It just means that air got into it. I ran delis for years and it happens during packaging. You can’t always tell before stocking the machines,” added another.
“Omg that def needs to be taking off the shelf,” declared a third.
BroBible reached out to Hillshire’s owner Tyson Foods via email and to Lashonda via TikTok direct message and comment.