Is MrBeast’s Lunchables competitor even munchable? The Lunchly brand, launched last month by MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) and fellow YouTubers Logan Paul and Olajide ‘KSI†Olatunji, is now facing some customer claims that its products contain mold. The grab-and-go snack kits have been advertised to a young fanbase as a healthier and better-tasting alternative to Lunchables, with promos specifically highlighting Lunchly’s use of “real cheese.†In one particularly memed moment, Paul declares, “I like my cheese drippy, bruh.†But not everyone is finding the cheese so appetizing. Baking YouTuber, cookbook author, and prominent MrBeast critic Rosanna Pansino is among several people who have come forward on social media with photos and videos that appear to show Lunchly with blue clumps of mold. As if MrBeast didn’t have enough to worry about! Below, what to know, including how Lunchly and its founders have responded and what the FDA has said.
What does Lunchly say is in a Lunchly?
You currently have your pick of three entrée options: the Pizza, Fiesta Nachos, and Turkey Stack ’Ems. All come with one of MrBeast’s Feastable chocolate bars. Paul and KSI are the duo behind the Prime “hydration drink,†so naturally, there’s a bottle of that in every Lunchly too.
What does Rosanna Pansino say is in a Lunchly?
Mold … at least some of the time. On October 19, Pansino posted a YouTube video in which she opens up a Lunchly pizza kit to discover what appears to be multiple clumps of blue mold in the cheese. (She later shared uncut footage in response to MrBeast fans she said had accused her of faking the video.) According to Pansino, the expiration date of the product was still two months away, and the Lunchly had been refrigerated within 20 minutes of purchase at a store. In the video, she opens a second pizza kit that she acknowledges does not seem to have mold. Still, she doesn’t seem to like the odds of receiving this unwanted topping. “Please be careful everyone,†she tweeted. “This is not safe and not okay. Especially for children!â€
Doesn’t Pansino have other beef with MrBeast?
Big time. She previously accused him of editing her out of third place in a hide-and-seek video with creators and has questioned how he uses money as well as the validity of his philanthropy videos. In a September Instagram post, she claimed she has “spoken with over 200 Beast Games contestants, more than 50 current and former MrBeast employees, as well as other people hurt & harassed by more companies.†At the time, the baking YouTuber teased that she was in a new era of “serving Cookies & Tea.â€
Is she the only one to make this mold claim?
Nope. Even before Pansino posted her video, social-media users had posted footage that appeared to show moldy cheese in Lunchly kits.
@au38a I like my cheese moldy bruh #mold #lunchly #lunchables #fypã‚· #au38a #aura #beauty #yum #awesome #drippybruh
♬ Thick Of It (feat. Trippie Redd) - KSI
How have Lunchly and its founders responded?
“All Lunchly products go through a stringent review process to ensure the quality and safety of its products,â€Â Lunchly said in a statement to The Daily Mail on October 22. “That process consists of multiple inspections and approvals, including that of the USDA, before any product can even leave the manufacturing facility.â€
According to Newsweek, a “source close to MrBeast’s operation†said to “consider the source†when it comes to Pansino’s tweets. It’s unclear which posts are being referenced, but Pansino has tweeted that Lunchly is unsafe. She also tagged the Food and Drug Administration in a seeming call for an investigation into the brand.
Meanwhile, during an October 23 episode of the Impaulsive podcast, Paul and KSI didn’t seem too worried by the mold claims. KSI brought up Pansino and said with a laugh, “She can do her thing.†Echoing a line that Pansino has used to critique Lunchly, Paul added, “Yeah, like, I like my cheese moldy, bro.†The pair did not deny that she found mold in the product. “When she saw that, she must have been jumping,†KSI said. “She must have been like, YESSS!†Before moving onto another topic, the co-founders suggested that criticizing Lunchly is a guaranteed way to get engagement online. MrBeast has yet to directly comment.
Has any action been taken?
The Food and Drug Administration told TMZ that as of October 25, the agency has received more than 10 complaints about Lunchly. One consumer reportedly said they might have gotten sick because of the product. The FDA said it is reviewing all submissions and will provide updates if action is deemed necessary.
What else do I need to know about MrBeast?
Contestants on his yet-to-be-released reality competition show, Beast Games, have sued both him and Amazon over allegations that include “chronic mistreatment,†neglect, and sexual harassment. MrBeast has previously been criticized for his past racist and homophobic comments, which he has attributed to youthful ignorance. Oh, and he’s currently the biggest YouTuber in the world, with 322 million subscribers and counting.