Warning over popular $5 Kmart kitchen item loved by parents: 'Worst thing possible'

Food safety experts have identified an issue with a popular Kmart item that's become very popular among parents. The $5 Berry Storage Container lets you wash, drain and store your berries all in one, however, a food safety expert tells Yahoo Lifestyle why it isn't great to store washed fruit.

Cheree Lawrence, who posts on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook as @ohsobusymum, shared that her family loves the item, telling her followers, "If your family loves berries as much as my family does, you need to get this berry storage strainer for $5 from Kmart. You can strain, wash and store the strawberries in the one container. The handle folds away for easy storage in the fridge."

"OMG, I need this," one follower responded.

"Great, now I gotta go buy this," another added.

"That's clever," a third wrote.

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"Instantly adds to Kmart cart!" someone else said. "Thanks for sharing!"

"I need 90 of these," one person wrote.

Someone else said it was a "game changer", while many others said berries don't last long enough in their houses before getting eaten to make it worthwhile.

Warning about popular Kmart item

Many people said that storing washed berries in the fridge would be a breeding ground for mould, with one person writing, "Tip from a friend of mine who is an ex chef is to not wash your berries until just before eating. Moisture makes them go bad faster. Just line your containers with paper towel and change daily. We buy 500g punnet from our local fruit store and they last 7 days."

"Don’t wash your berries until they are being used. They will go rotten when washed," another added.

"Did you know introducing water to berries before you use them is the worst thing possible as they start to deteriorate," a third wrote. "You’re better off storing your berries in an airtight jar like a Moccona coffee jar...just saying."

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"We wash our berries in vinegar and they last so much longer," someone else shared.

It's true, Food Safety Plus tells Yahoo Lifestyle, that to keep your berries from going mouldy, it's best to store them dry, not washed.

"The shelf life of berries will be enhanced by storing them dry," they tell us. "It is likely that mould will grow quickly, even if refrigerated, when stored wet."

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