Expert warns about three foods you should NEVER keep in the refrigerator because they become toxic

Do you have leftovers? Experts say you shouldn’t keep all the components of last night’s dinner in the refrigerator.

Keeping some foods cold can even lead to potentially fatal food poisoning, an expert has warned.

According to Jhanvi Sanghvi, a clinical nutritionist and influencer from India, there are three ingredients that should never be kept in the refrigerator.

At the top of her list: onions.

Keeping them in the refrigerator can lead to mold growth, Ms Sanghvi told her 11,000 followers on Instagram.

She explained that the excess moisture on the onion provides the perfect environment for the growth of mold spores, which can cause vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea when consumed.

That’s because mold – a type of fungus – on food can produce mycotoxins, which are toxic chemicals that can make you sick.

This is precisely why onions should instead be stored in a cool, dark and dry place such as a cupboard, says Ms Sanghvi.

Storing garlic in the refrigerator carries similar risks.

Ms Sanghvi said: ‘Garlic can sprout and become rubbery if kept in the refrigerator, causing it to lose its flavor and potency.

‘It can taste bitter and less appealing and at the same time develop molds that are harmful to health.’

According to Ms. Sanghvi, puddings are also a food that can become harmful if kept in the refrigerator.

“Refrigeration causes starches to be converted to sugars, resulting in a sweeter taste and grainy texture,” she warned.

“But cooking these modified potatoes at high temperatures can produce acrylamide, a potentially harmful substance,” she added.

Scientists previously warned that storing raw potatoes in the refrigerator could pose a risk of cancer.

However, whether this is the case is still debated.

For decades it was thought that storing vegetables at low temperatures led to the formation of extra sugars.

Experts thought this cancer-causing acrylamide could change if the puddings were baked, roasted or baked.

In 2023, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) updated its guidelines to state that potatoes can be stored ‘in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry place’.

Professor Thomas Sanders of King’s College London has questioned the science behind the cancer theory.

He previously told MailOnline: ‘Acrylamide is formed at high temperatures by a reaction with the amino acid asparagine.

‘This mainly happens during frying and roasting. Blanching or soaking potatoes before roasting or roasting reduces acrylamide formation.

‘Microwave potatoes, baked or boiled potatoes do not contain acrylamide.’

Besides highlighting the ingredients that are toxic to keep in the refrigerator, Ms Sanghvi also highlighted foods that simply taste bad when stored this way.

One food that should stay in the fruit bowl and out of the refrigerator is bananas.

Ms Sanghvi warned that cold temperatures can cause bananas to “turn brown and mushy” as it disrupts their ripening process.

Another food that stays fresher outside the refrigerator is ginger.

That’s because refrigeration can cause ginger to dry out and lose its freshness and flavor — rendering the root unusable for cooking, she explains.