A Mississauga resident is raising awareness about insects in fruit after noticing what appeared to be maggots in her mango, but experts say eating them is harmless.
In a recent TikTok video, the resident says she was cutting a Mexican mango that she bought at a local supermarket, when she noticed a few wiggly lines. After a closer look, she realized there were maggots inside the fruit.
Thankfully, her family and her had just eaten one of the mangoes, which she said appeared to have no insects.
“They have maggots in them. Be so careful, you guys. This is so scary,” she said.
In the comments, thousands of users were shocked and disgusted with the discovery.
“I was chilling until you said Canada 😭,” one TikToker wrote.
“Eeeeek!!!! I’m not eating any fruits! Why are there so many worms in fruits?” another user asked.
“Alright, [I’m] gonna stare at my mango for 5 minutes before eating it, ” a different user pitched in.
But contrary to what many might think, experts explain that maggots can be commonly found in fruits, and don’t cause any harm to humans who eat them.
Toronto Entomologists’ Association President Antonia Guidotti says that although she can’t know for sure the species of the maggots in the video, they likely could be larvae of fruit flies, which are commonly found in fruits and vegetables.
According to her, there are many opportunities along the food production chain for flies to lay eggs into the fruit, which eventually grow into maggots.
“If it’s not stored in a very cold place, it’s more likely that…the fruits or whatever may [be] exposed to insects,” she said. “If it was sitting out during the day at a fruit stand or something like that, it’s quite possible… Then if she took it home and sat it on the counter for a few more days, then the larvae would have had time to develop.”
Guidotti says that although farmers do use pesticides to keep flies away from the fruits, they are not 100 per cent effective, and can also be washed out as they water the plants.
“Also, a lot of people are eating organic food these days, so there will be a little bit [of a] higher number of insects that you might find,” she added.
Ontario Fruit and Vegetables Growers’ Association Crop Protection Advisor Chris Duyvelshoff said that farmers also have other strategies to keep larvae from landing on local fruits, but still, fruit flies can have an impact.
“We’re fortunate to live in Canada, and especially in Ontario, where we’re known for producing some of the highest quality, healthiest food in the world,” he said.
“Our growers carefully monitor their crops and use a mix of strategies to manage pests effectively and responsibly, ensuring that pests like fruit worms are minimized. This process is known as integrated pest management. No one wants to find a worm in their fruit!”
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND MAGGOTS IN YOUR FRUITS?
Although it can be very unpleasant to see insects crawling in fruits, Guidotti assures that there is no problem if someone ends up eating a maggot or two.
“It’s not really a bad thing to eat insects,” she said. “We can actually digest quite a bit of insects. It’s not like [people] are eating a whole bunch of those. And it shouldn’t be an issue.”
But if you aren’t into getting that extra protein, the expert says you could easily cut out that part of the fruit, throw the whole thing out, or even report it to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and return it to the supermarket.
“It’s not something to be alarmed [by]. It’s not pleasant to find something that’s alive in the food that we’re eating, but, you know, you gotta put it a little bit in perspective,” she added.
According to the CFIA, finding live insects in food doesn’t pose a health risk, except for insects like spiders, scorpions, or blister beetles, which are rarely found in fresh produce. Residents across the country can report food complaints here.
