Strawberries might seem like clean eating, but the average ripened specimen could harbor a bug bonanza, the NY Post reports. Fruit enthusiasts are creeping out over an alarming video on Twitter that showed the juicy red fruit teeming with microscopic critters of biblical plague proportions.
“Are you having a good day today? I’m sorry for ruining it by posting this video of a strawberry under a microscope,” reads the caption to the clip, which boasts over 2.5 million views on the platform.
The ensuing freaky footage, set to ominous music, shows a scientist shaving off a slice of strawberry and placing it under a microscope. The camera then cuts to the magnifier’s-eye view, which shows small multi-colored mite-looking critters scuttling about on the surface. The video set viewers’ spines a-tingling with one appalled commenter writing, “This is why you wash your food!”
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If you need a microscope to see them, Halachakly it’s not a problem.
Aha. So it’s only lettuce that’s a problem???
Check with your Rov – these microscopic bugs may not be assur. Though strawberries are known to be infested with non-microscopic bugs.
So how do these juicy stores get away with putting strawberries in their smoothies? Is anyone in charge of the kashrus? Is there any mashgichim who have yiras shomayim, or is it all about making a profit? They just rely on Pedro to check for bugs?
in a smoothie the bug would be blended and not a full briya at that point , ain mevatlin issur lechatchila .. assuming its microscopic ayin chulin
Those don’t look microscopic to me; they seem to be about the same sie as the seeds.
Bugs not visible to the normal eye are not prohibited. With this method all fruits and vegetable can be classified the same way.
Why not Asser all grown items?
If you want anyone to take this seriously, you are going to have to show them the tola’im without the aid of a powerful microscope. EVEN IF nirah li’ainayim implies the eyes of the trained individual and not necessarily those of the inexperienced, no posek I am aware of says anyone is required to use a microscope.
If you want anyone to take this seriously, you are going to have to show them the tola’im without the aid of a powerful microscope. EVEN IF nirah li’ainayim implies the eyes of the trained individual and not necessarily those of the inexperienced, no posek I am aware of says anyone is required to use a microscope.
Using a microscope to view the air we breathe would likewise reveal all sorts of protein. Are we to stop breathing? I believe the Aruch HaShulchan already discusses and says the obvious that one need not do that.
“Don’t believe everything you see in a YouTube video” – famous YouTube star Honest Abe Lincoln…
Even if this video is true, did you ever look at a drop of water under a microscope? Did you ever stick your fingers under a microscope before licking off that dab of gravy or cookie batter from them? We are surrounded by billions of microscopic organisms and no one pays attention to it because they are – wait for it – MICROSCOPIC!
Even in terms of Kshrus, anything that requires a microscope to be seen is NOT a kashrus problem. Bugs are only an issue if they are large enough to be seen with ordinary vision and without the use of any magnification devices.
These bugs seen only under a microscope are not visible to the eye and would be allowed to eat. Strawberries do have a problem though that it has visible bugs as well especially under the crown
Kashrus problems
Doesn’t need a microscope. We look for these when we eat strawberries.