Shock as Woman Claims She Ended Up in ER After Eating Illegal Cheese

A woman has shared how a meal turned into a trip to the emergency room after she accidentally ate an illegal cheese.

Casu marzu, also known as casu martzu, is a traditional sheep-milk cheese, literally translating as "rotten or putrid cheese."

TikTok user amilotta terrified the internet after she shared her experience with the cheese in a video that has now been viewed more than 13 million times.

A Sardinian delicacy, the dairy product is banned in the U.S. and by the European Food Safety Authority, making it illegal to buy or sell the cheese.

Made with a process that goes far beyond typical fermentation, casu marzu is formed into a solid wheel before the top is cut off, and it is left in the open for cheese flies to lay their eggs on the soft inside.

Once infested, the cheese lid is placed back on and it matures in a dark, cool room for several months.

During this time, the fly eggs will hatch, and the larvae begin to consume the cheese, which takes on a unique flavor and a soft and spreadable texture.

​​Food-hygiene regulations put in place by the European Union mean that the cheese is banned, but it is said to be available on a black market in Sardinia.

In 2019, the illegal production of casu marzu was estimated at 100 tonnes per year, worth an estimated $2–3 million annually.

In the now-viral video, amilotta shared footage of herself sitting in the emergency room in Italy, alongside a shot of a cheese-filled pizza at a restaurant. The text overlay read: "POV: You accidentally ate the world's most dangerous cheese."

Scientists have reported that the unusual production process can cause some serious health issues.

Because of the cheese flies, the larvae can survive in the stomach and the intestine, which can lead to a condition called pseudomyiasis, the accidental ingestion of eggs or larvae of flies.

Symptoms include severe pain in the abdomen, and blood, mucus, and even maggots in the stool.

In a follow-up video, amilotta told her followers how the staff at the hospital said to her: "Never touch that stuff again, it can be very dangerous for tourists," and "How did you even get your hands on it? It's illegal."

Commenters on the viral TikTok video were quick to share their thoughts and shocked reactions.

One reply said: "But why does this cheese exist?" while another wrote: "I didn't even know there was a world's most dangerous cheese."

"Don't die for cheese," said another reply. Meanwhile one TikTok user said: "Don't put me off cheese."

The cheese is also one of a number of dairy products banned in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most banned cheeses in the U.S. are illegal due to the use of unpasteurized milk being used during production. Foodborne pathogens can grow and spread on dairy products, and pasteurization kills off these germs.

As well as the larvae-filled casu marzu, cheeses banned in the U.S. include camembert de Normandie, an unpasteurized version of the cheese you might find on the supermarket shelves, and reblochon, a full-cream, unpasteurized soft cheese from the Alps in France.

Newsweek has reached out to amilotta for comment. Newsweek is unable to verify the details of this case.

UPDATE 09/01/22, 07:15 a.m.: This article was updated with a new image.