Potatoes will ‘last for months’ and won’t sprout thanks to supermarket tip
The traditional method of storing potatoes in a cool, dark place has been turned on its head by supermarket giant Aldi.
Its latest advice now says customers should keep spuds chilled in the fridge.
The revelation came to light when TikTok user @Bethking61 posted a video showing an Aldi packet of white potatoes with a sticker advising storage below 5C to prevent sprouting and greening, sparking a debate on food preservation and waste reduction.
In her TikTok video, @Bethking61 expressed her surprise with the caption: “Maybe I have been living under a rock but I always thought they belonged in a dark cupboard? “
She zoomed in on the Aldi bag’s sticker, which featured a fridge icon and instructions for cold storage, prompting her to question: “Surely no? Does anyone else keep their potatoes in the fridge?? Is this NEW? Is my whole life a lie…”
Fellow TikTok users were quick to weigh in on the fridge versus cupboard debate for potato storage in the comments section of the video.
One woman commented: “Always in the fridge, they start to chit it I keep them in the cupboard.”
Another agreed: “Never had a problem with mine being in the fridge, been doing it for decades.” A third chimed: “Always [in the fridge], they last for weeks.”
It forced many people to question why they had ever stored them in the cupboard, with one person asking: “Yeah I put mine in the fridge with the vegetables but not actually sure why! My mum always keeps them in the cupboard.”
It appears that Aldi, alongside numerous other retailers, is adhering to the updated official guidance from the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), which advises that potatoes should be kept refrigerated.
The Food Standards Agency also recommends “if you wish to help avoid food waste, you can choose to store either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place”.
Speaking previously to Express.co.uk Lucia Washbrook, sales and marketing director at Branston said: “Storing potatoes in the fridge should obviously be encouraged, but there are many other ways you can make them last, such as storing them in fabric or paper bags rather than plastic and making sure they are kept in the dark.”
Lucia continued: “Those coming towards their end-of-life can be cooked up and frozen into portions ready to use straight from the freezer.”
It comes after figures from Out of Date highlighted that a staggering 4.4 million potatoes are “abandoned” every day, totalling 714,000 tonnes per year.
When wasted as whole spuds, peels, or leftover mash, the surplus generates 326,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, which is detrimental to the environment.
