Picture this: You’re unpacking your groceries, humming a little tune, when your nosy neighbor pops in and gasps, “You’re not putting those bananas in the fridge, are you? They’ll turn poisonous!” You freeze mid-hum, banana in hand, wondering if you’ve been secretly poisoning yourself with every chilled fruit salad. Then, your aunt chimes in over WhatsApp: “And don’t you dare refrigerate onions or potatoes either – they’ll gas you out of house and home!” Suddenly, your kitchen feels like a biochemical warzone, and you’re questioning every life choice that led to this moment. 

But hold your horses (and your produce). Is there any truth to this fridge-phobic folklore, or is it just another science myth that’s been ripening longer than a forgotten banana? 

Bananas: The Tropical Drama Queens 

Bananas are the divas of the fruit world. Stick them in the fridge before they’re ripe, and they’ll throw a tantrum, refusing to ripen properly. Their skin turns black faster than you can say “smoothie,” and the inside gets mushy enough to resemble a soggy monsoon day in Mumbai—dramatic, waterlogged, but still perfectly edible. But poisonous? Not a chance. That black peel? It’s just their version of stress-induced gray hairs, not a biohazard warning. Inside, they’re still edible—if a little mushy and melodramatic. 

A 2018 study in Postharvest Biology and Technology (Effect of Low-Temperature Storage on Banana Aroma and Quality) confirms that refrigeration slows banana metabolism, reducing ethylene production (a ripening hormone) by about 40% at 4°C compared to 20°C, but doesn’t produce anything remotely toxic. So it is safe to chill, unless you’re scared of a soggy texture or a fruit that looks like it’s auditioning for Fear Files. 

Onions: The Gaslighting Veggies 

Put them in the fridge, and they won’t turn toxic, but they’ll get soft, sprouty, and make you believe you messed up. Folklore says they’ll turn into mushy, moldy biohazards, releasing poisonous gases to haunt your kitchen. 

The study titled Monitoring the Changes in Chemical Properties of Red and White Onions (Allium cepa) During Storage “ in the Journal of Stored Products and Postharvest Research in 2018 notes that refrigerated onions at 4°C show a 25% increase in water content over two weeks due to humidity, accelerating starch-to-sugar conversion and reducing pungency by degrading these sulfur compounds. But there’s no evidence of them turning into little chemical weapons. 

Long story short? Your onions aren’t brewing poison—they’re just terrible at handling cold, just let them chill (figuratively) in a dry, dark spot. 

Potatoes: The Starchy Suspects

Potatoes have their own fridge-related scandal: the myth that chilling them turns their starches into a toxic sugar bomb. 

Refrigeration alters the chemical composition of potatoes but does not make them toxic. The primary concern is cold-induced sweetening (CIS), where starch is broken down into reducing sugars like glucose and fructose by enzymes such as starch phosphorylase and invertase. However, a 2024 study in Food Research International titled Effect of Freezing Pretreatment on the Mitigation of Acrylamide in Fried Potato Strips demonstrates that proper handling, such as blanching or controlled storage temperatures, can significantly reduce acrylamide formation. The study supports that while refrigeration influences potato chemistry, it does not introduce toxins. 

Refrigeration alters potato texture and sweetness but doesn’t make them toxic. 

A 2021 study in LWT – Food Science and Technology by Sang et al. confirms that refrigeration impacts fresh produce at a biochemical level. While it slows microbial growth and enzymatic degradation, it also affects metabolic pathways. 

The Real Culprit: Old Wives’ Tales and Fridge Phobia 

Where did this whole “fridge = food villain” idea come from? Probably the same place as “don’t swim after eating” and “gum stays in your stomach for seven years.” Somewhere along the way, people mashed up half-truths, misunderstood food science, and threw in a little “cold things are scary” logic for good measure. 

A big suspect? Ethylene gas—a sneaky little compound some fruits (like bananas) release that can speed up ripening (or spoilage) in nearby produce. That’s why your apples seem to bully everything else into going bad faster. But here’s the thing: while ethylene can make your veggies age dramatically like a bad soap opera plot, it’s not poison. 

Final Take: Relax, It’s Just a Fridge 

So next time someone gasps at your refrigerated avocado or tells you cold storage turns food into biohazards, just smile, nod, and keep enjoying your perfectly safe produce. Science has debunked the drama, and the fridge is not out to get you—though your leftovers might be another story. 

Written by – Ummehaani Zahir 
Edited by – Dr. Reshma Patil