Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Hunger Effect in Minecraft: Causes and Cures
The Hunger status effect drains your food bar faster and turns it yellow-green. You get it by eating rotten flesh, raw chicken or pufferfish, or when a husk hits you. It does not lower your hunger at all on Peaceful, though the bar still changes color. It is a nuisance rather than a danger.
What gives Hunger?
| Cause | Notes |
|---|---|
| Rotten flesh | Chance of Hunger when eaten |
| Raw chicken | Chance of Hunger when eaten |
| Pufferfish | Together with Poison and Nausea |
| Husk attacks | Their hits give Hunger |
Every effect in the game: status effects.
What does Hunger do?
Each level adds a little exhaustion every tick, burning saturation and then hunger faster. A short dose from rotten flesh only costs about three-quarters of a saturation point. See food and hunger.
How do you remove or counter it?
Milk removes it. Usually it is cheaper to eat something filling, such as a golden carrot, and let it run out. Most effects show an icon in your inventory and at the top right of the screen, with the time left; the /effect command can give or clear any of them.
More about Hunger
Higher levels drain food even faster. Wolves can eat rotten flesh safely, which makes it good dog food. Hunger cannot kill you on Easy or Normal: starvation stops at 5 hearts on Easy and half a heart on Normal, but on Hard it can kill, so keep food handy there.
Status effects come from potions, food, beacons, conduits, mobs and blocks. Each has a level and a timer, and most can be cleared by drinking milk; beacon and conduit effects keep refreshing while you stay in range, so they never run out there.
Tips
Rotten flesh is still useful food in an emergency or to feed wolves, which are not affected. Related: husks.
Frequently asked questions
Does eating rotten flesh always give Hunger?
No, there is only a chance.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.