diff --git a/world/objects.py b/world/objects.py
index 7fe3754..b353e75 100644
--- a/world/objects.py
+++ b/world/objects.py
@@ -96,11 +96,27 @@ class FoodObject(BaseEntity):
         self.max_decay = 400
         self.interaction_radius: int = 50
         self.neighbors: int = 0
+        self.claimed_this_tick = False  # Track if food was claimed this tick
         self.flags: dict[str, bool] = {
             "death": False,
             "can_interact": True,
         }
 
+    def try_claim(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        Atomically claims this food for consumption within the current tick.
+
+        :return: True if successfully claimed, False if already claimed this tick
+        """
+        if not self.claimed_this_tick:
+            self.claimed_this_tick = True
+            return True
+        return False
+
+    def reset_claim(self) -> None:
+        """Reset the claim for next tick"""
+        self.claimed_this_tick = False
+
     def tick(self, interactable: Optional[List[BaseEntity]] = None) -> Union["FoodObject", List["FoodObject"]]:
         """
         Updates the food object, increasing decay and flagging for death if decayed.
@@ -108,6 +124,9 @@ class FoodObject(BaseEntity):
         :param interactable: List of nearby entities (unused).
         :return: Self
         """
+        # Reset claim at the beginning of each tick
+        self.reset_claim()
+
         if interactable is None:
             interactable = []
 
@@ -300,8 +319,10 @@ class DefaultCell(BaseEntity):
         distance_to_food = get_distance_between_objects(self, food_object)
 
         if distance_to_food < self.max_visual_width and food_objects:
-            self.energy += 140
-            food_object.flag_for_death()
+            # Use atomic consumption to prevent race conditions
+            if food_object.try_claim():
+                self.energy += 140
+                food_object.flag_for_death()
             return self
 
         if self.energy >= 1700:
diff --git a/world/world.py b/world/world.py
index dc479c5..5731985 100644
--- a/world/world.py
+++ b/world/world.py
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ class World:
         next_buffer: int = 1 - self.current_buffer
         self.buffers[next_buffer].clear()
 
+        # Food claims auto-reset in FoodObject.tick()
+
         for obj_list in self.buffers[self.current_buffer].values():
             for obj in obj_list:
                 if obj.flags["death"]:
@@ -178,14 +180,17 @@ class World:
                     interactable = self.query_objects_within_radius(
                         obj.position.x, obj.position.y, obj.interaction_radius
                     )
-                    interactable.remove(obj)
+                    # Create defensive copy to prevent shared state corruption
+                    interactable = interactable.copy()
+                    if obj in interactable:
+                        interactable.remove(obj)
                     new_obj = obj.tick(interactable)
                 else:
                     new_obj = obj.tick()
                 if new_obj is None:
                     continue
 
-                # reproduction code
+                # reproduction code - buffer new entities for atomic state transition
                 if isinstance(new_obj, list):
                     for item in new_obj:
                         if isinstance(item, BaseEntity):
@@ -194,6 +199,8 @@ class World:
                 else:
                     cell = self._hash_position(new_obj.position)
                     self.buffers[next_buffer][cell].append(new_obj)
+
+        # Atomic buffer switch - all state changes become visible simultaneously
         self.current_buffer = next_buffer
 
     def add_object(self, new_object: BaseEntity) -> None: