My probiotic gummies turned hard and weird - still safe?
Hey everyone! I got a bottle of probiotic gummies a couple months ago and they used to be soft and chewy. Now they're rock hard, some have white spots (sugar bloom?), and a few are stuck together. They're not expired but... I'm scared to eat them. Anyone else have this happen? Safe to eat or toss?
I'd toss them honestly. As a mom, I never mess around with supplements that look off. Probiotics are live bacteria, and if the texture changed that drastically, the heat or moisture probably killed them. Not worth risking a stomach ache. Better safe than sorry!
Meh, gummies are basically candy with some bugs thrown in. The texture change is just sugar crystallizing or melting and rehardening. The white stuff is sugar bloom, totally harmless. If they don't smell bad or have mold, I'd still eat them. Probiotics might be dead though, so you might not get the benefit. But toxic? Unlikely.
Medical student here. The white spots are indeed sugar bloom - harmless. Hardening is likely moisture loss. The bigger concern is live probiotics: if stored improperly (heat/humidity), the bacteria may die, but they won't become toxic. Eating dead probiotics isn't harmful, just ineffective. However, if there's any sign of mold or off smell, toss. Otherwise, they're safe, but don't expect digestive benefits.