Why Reddit Is Gagging Over Trader Joe's Oat Milk
In this day and age, we have plenty of non-dairy choices to choose from when it comes to milk. As far as plant-based milk is concerned, there's coconut, almond, soy, cashew, hemp, macadamia, pea, rice, banana, flax, hazelnut, pistachio, walnut, and oat, each with varying qualities.
For instance, because soy milk contains a lot of protein and has a mild taste, it's great for baking projects (via Allrecipes). On the other hand, oat milk is creamier than other non-dairy milks, making it texturally very similar to cow milk.
Although non-dairy milks can be great for those with allergies or dairy sensitivities or those trying to lessen their environmental impact, even these milks have drawbacks. And regardless of the type, most refrigerated milks have about the same shelf life and can still go bad. Unfortunately, one Trader Joe's shopper had to find out the hard way that even oat milk isn't impervious to spoilage.
Don't drink the moldy milk
The Trader Joe's Reddit thread recently shared their alternative milk horror stories after one shopper posted about their own experience. According to their post, they had purchased the oat milk three days prior, assuming the milk was fine as the expiration date was still a week away. However, after drinking most of the carton, they discovered a chunk in the milk. Upon opening the carton, the mortified Redditor realized it was full of mold.
Other Redditors said they had similar experiences with chunky milk from Trader Joe's, with some saying they had actually gotten sick enough to visit the ER. Another person wrote, "Seems to be an issue with TJ's oat milk lately. Like smells weird, tastes weird, etc." Still others said they thought the chunks were normal, but let it be known: oat milk should not have chunks (via Can It Go Bad). If your milk is chunky, please, for your own safety, throw it away. And definitely don't drink it if it's growing mold.