Dubai: Buying nuts and other types of dried fruit does not mean you shouldn’t take safety measures when storing them as they could contain insect eggs — which wait for the optimal temperature to hatch.
The warning was issued by a food expert after a resident found dozens of insects in an unopened plastic packet of dried cashew nuts manufactured in December last year.
“Should dried nuts be refrigerated? I did not open the packet and was surprised to find so many insects. I took it back to the hypermarket where I bought it, and the ground floor duty manager said I did not store it properly,” said the resident, who wished to remain unnamed.
“All nuts and fruits have a certain amount of insects’ eggs if they are not treated with pesticide. It is crucial to know that these eggs are not harmful and will have no affect on your health, as the eggs can also be found in lettuce and other farm products,” said Bobby Krishna, Senior Food Studies and Survey Officer, Food Control Department at Dubai Municipality.
To prevent the eggs from hatching, dried nuts and fruit should be stored in a cool place with low humidity at a temperature less than 30 degrees Celsius, preferably not in the kitchen.
When stored in an airtight glass jar, dried nuts and fruit can last for months.
Roasted nuts, however, will not be prone to insects as their eggs have already been cooked.
“Having insects in your fruit is caused by how they are stored. Instead of buying a large quantity of dried fruit in bulk, residents should buy smaller packets as you will also be wasting less food,” he said.
