Are worms in your fruit safe to eat? Experts weigh in
In the summer, we eagerly reach for fruits. We can choose from strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, apples, and peaches. However, sometimes, we can encounter an unpleasant surprise in the form of a worm. This discovery can quickly spoil our appetite, provided we notice it in time. Can consuming fruit with worms harm us?
Vegetables and fruits are essential parts of a balanced diet. They work well as snacks and standalone meals. In the summer, we can choose from a wide range of fruits. The most important thing is always to select those from a reliable source and wash them before eating.
It is also worth inspecting the fruits closely to see if they have spots, holes, or other damage. If we don't find any, we can be almost sure they are free from unwanted guests.
However, even thorough washing may not eliminate worms in the fruit. We most often consume them in plums, cherries, and sweet cherries because we do not always look inside these fruits before eating them.
Many have wondered if eating fruit with worms is safe for our health. It turns out it is safer than eating mouldy fruit.
As "Gazeta Pomorska" points out, worms in fruits do not cause illness, nor do their larvae. Eating fruit with worms should not even result in any digestive issues.
Eating "wormy" sweet cherries, which contain the white larvae of the cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi), is generally safe. Consuming such fruits will not cause digestive symptoms, let alone food poisoning — points out Radosław Bogusz, an engineer from the Department of Food Engineering and Production Organization at the Institute of Food Sciences, SGGW, in an interview with the portal haps.pl.
Such fruits are better not to eat
Rotting fruits pose much more severe threats to our health. If a fruit is turning brown (in spots or entirely) and becoming soft, we should avoid it. This is due to the "development of undesirable microflora for our health." Experts emphasise that such fruits should be discarded.
Mouldy fruits should also not be eaten. It's worth remembering that even if mould appears on a small part of the fruit, it should be discarded. This is because, although it may not be visible, mould spores are present throughout the fruit.
