My collagen gummies turned white and rock hard?? safe to eat?
K so I ordered this huge bottle of collagen gummies off amazon like 2 months ago (grass fed, 5g per serving, the good kind). Left them in my car overnight by accident and now half of them look frosted?? like someone dusted them with powdered sugar. and the ones in the middle are completely fused into one giant gummy blob. texture went from soft to kinda crunchy when I bit one. I know sugar bloom is a thing w candy but does that also mean the collagen degraded? dont wanna waste $40 but also dont wanna eat something sketchy. has anyone else had this happen?
Lol I literally had this EXACT thing happen during my 16:8 window last month. left my bottle on the counter near the stove and they melted then re-hardened into a weird chewy brick. I ate them anyway (foolish, I know) and I was fine, no stomach issues. BUT here's the thing, collagen is just protein at the end of the day, and heat can denature it. it probably loses some efficacy but I dont think it becomes unsafe unless you see actual mold. is there any green/black fuzz or a sour smell? if no, you're prob fine. if yes, toss it. not worth the gamble.
Sugar bloom + sticking together usually just means moisture and temp fluctuations, not spoilage. That said, "crunchy" is a red flag to me. Real collagen gummies should stay chewy. If they're hard enough to crack a tooth, the gelatin matrix broke down and honestly you're not absorbing much of anything at that point. You could try rehydrating them in a sealed container w a damp paper towel overnight, thats an old trick for stale marshmallows. but personally? I'd compost them and buy from a brand that uses a desiccant pack. your body, your choice though. also check the batch/lot number, some brands had recalls for exactly this.
not to hijack but this is why I stopped buying gummies entirely lol. most of them are made with bovine or porcine gelatin, so even if the sugar bloom is harmless, you're still eating ground up hooves for your "beauty" routine. switch to a vegan collagen booster (the ones w vitamin C + amino acids, since actual vegan collagen doesnt exist, thats marketing bs). anyway OP you're prob not gonna die but the texture change means oxidation. I wouldnt eat em. also 5g per serving is a ton, what brand is that? sounds fishy.
ok no mold, no smell, just weird texture. CrystalCathy11 I might just eat the non-fused ones and see how it goes, the frosted ones look the most normal tbh. IvyIron938 the damp paper towel thing sounds wild but im desperate so maybe. FuelFrank182 its the pink bottle w the little cow on it, I think its bovine yeah. not tryna spend another $40 so I'll probably just suffer through this batch and store the next one in the fridge like a normal person lol. thanks yall