Aldi and Tesco warn shoppers to wash fruit and vegetables due to ‘Saharan dust’

Supermarkets Tesco and Aldi have released warnings to shoppers saying to wash any fruit and vegetables before eating them.

The giants claim that fresh produce could have been dirtied by the Saharan desert dust cloud that swamped the Mediterranean earlier this month.

Brits may have noticed reddish sand on their cars or windowsills in early March.

Or, realised their windows were filthy after a spattering of rain.

And, the cause was Saharan sand which blew across the Earth and was caught up in rain clouds, reports the Mirror.

But, the effects are thought to have been worse in Mediterranean areas like Spain – where many crops for the UK market are grown, claims Manchester Evening News.

It said: "Due to the recent winds from the Sahara Desert, a small amount of dust has settled on our Spanish crops.

“Please ensure you wash your fruit and veg products before enjoying.

“Thank you for supporting our growers and preventing food waste by continuing to buy these products."

Signs have also been spotted in Aldi stores, stating: "Please give your veg an extra rinse.

“Due to recent winds from the Sahara Desert, a small amount of dust may have settled in some of our packs."

It added: “Thank you for supporting our growers and helping to reduce food waste by continuing to buy these products."

While eating sand or dust will mostly just be unpleasant it’s also important to note that they can contain micro-organisms which may make you unwell.

At the time, Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: "The dust in the atmosphere causes the light to be more refracted, so you get the dominance of the red and orange tinges of the spectrum."

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