Audio By Carbonatix
One woman’s unpleasant surprise is serving as a warning to not eat food in the dark. After Florida-based content creator Lexi (@lexinead) bit into a Hershey’s Triple Chocolate Cake from a gas station, she was instantly disgusted and blamed the chocolate manufacturer. But who is really at fault here?
In a video with over 344,000 views, Lexi (@lexinead) shows a Hershey’s Triple Chocolate Cake divided into three chunks and scattered on a table. “Whatever you do, never get these from the gas station,” she warns, showing the Hershey’s Triple Chocolate Cake wrapper.
“I had one, and [my boyfriend] had one. This one was infested with mold,” she says, zooming in on the white fuzz-covered treat. White fuzz is a telltale sign of mold.
“We were laying in the dark, eating these. So, we both took a full bite,” she says.
She notes that as soon as she sank her teeth into the dessert, she knew something was off. “I immediately look over to him, and I say, ‘Do not swallow this. It tastes like nail polish remover.’ I got a bag, and I was like, ‘spit it out,’” she says. “We didn’t expect it to be this. I literally thought it was nail polish remover.”
As soon as the content creator turned the lights on, she says she noticed the mold. “I saw just a little bit of fuzz on the bottom, and I was like, ‘no way,’” Lexi shares. “Then, I cut it open, and it’s just infested.”
Lexi says that even if the lights had been on, the apparent mold would have been easy to miss.
“When it was fully together, there is no mold on the top,” she says, showing the top of the cake.
Lexi’s boyfriend had his own, separate Hershey’s cake, but it suffered a similar problem. “His was not nearly as bad, and he still said it tasted really bad,” Lexi says.
Lexi blames Hershey’s for the moldy dessert. “DO NOT BUY HERSHEY [TRIPLE] CHOCOLATE CAKES,” she urges in the caption, tagging the confectionery company. “IM STILL GAGGING.”
Who Is To Blame?
However, in a follow-up video, Lexi offers a formal apology to Hershey’s after finding out the Hershey’s was actually expired.
“I would like to formally apologize to Hershey’s for my last video. It’s not your fault. It’s the gas station’s,” she says. “I was looking at the expiration date, and it’s ‘5/5/2025.’”
For reference, Lexi notes it is July 1.
Viewers Issue Warnings
On Lexi’s first video, viewers assumed the gas station was to blame. They said her video serves as a reminder to check food products’ expiration dates—especially when they are at a fast station—and to not consume anything in the dark.
“This is why I check the dates on EVERYTHING at a gas station,” one viewer stated.
“Always check dates especially gas station food,” another echoed.
“This is why I never eat in the dark,” a third commented.
“That’s sad because those are so good lol just don’t eat food in the dark or look at it first and then eat it in the dark. I always inspect my food before I eat it because of this,” a fourth agreed.
Like Lexi, some viewers also fell victim to moldy gas station food.
“We had a moldy one from a gas station once too. Like 3 years ago,” one commenter remarked.
Another swore off buying snacks at the gas station entirely. “OMG I HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME TOO!!! I WILL NEVER GET [ANYTHING] FOOD FROM A convenience store,” they said.
Confronting The Gas Station
As shown in another follow-up, Lexi decided to take matters into her own hands by confronting the gas station. She made the purchase at a Marathon gas station.
“I just got off work. I’m back at the gas station where I got the moldy cupcake,” she says while sitting in her car. “We’re gonna go in there and see if there’s any more that are expired, sitting on the shelf, and basically make sure everything gets taken off the shelves.”
She heads to the section where the treats are being sold, and sure enough, they are all expired. And she finds out it isn’t just the Hershey’s cakes that are off. The Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme bars are as well.
She takes both containers filled with Hershey’s products to the worker manning the checkout counter.
“I bought one of these, and I took a bite, and it was full of mold,” the content creator says. “It did expire two months ago, and all the ones over there are expired.”
Back in her car, Lexi says the worker told her this was his first day, and so she doesn’t fault him. She also says the manager was nowhere to be found.
“Not that guy’s fault. It was his first day,” she says. “But he was like, ‘What did you want me to do?’”
Food Safety reported that 20% of convenience stores experienced issues with expired food.
What Happens If You Consume Mold?
If you consume mold, you should monitor yourself for symptoms such as diarrhea, shortness of breath, increased temperature, and nausea, per the Cleveland Clinic. If you don’t exhibit any of these symptoms, you may be in the clear. However, you should immediately seek medical attention if you do.
Individuals with a mold allergy are at a greater risk and will often experience respiratory issues or illnesses if they consume mold.
Symptoms may not appear immediately. So it’s best to monitor yourself for symptoms weeks to months after consuming the spoiled food.
BroBible reached out to Lexi via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. BroBible also reached out to Marathon Petroleum Corporation via press email.
Content shared from brobible.com.