Yes—you should definitely discard those berries. Those white wiggling things are almost certainly fruit fly larvae (maggots) or other insect larvae that were living inside the fruit. Soaking in salt water can make them surface, but it does not make the berries safe to eat.
Why you shouldn’t eat them
- They can carry bacteria or parasites.
- Salt water may kill some, but not all pathogens.
- Eating contaminated berries can cause food poisoning, nausea, or diarrhea.
What to do next
- Throw the berries away in a sealed bag to prevent flies from spreading.
- Clean your sink or bowl thoroughly with hot water and soap.
- Inspect other fruit—larvae can spread to nearby berries or soft fruit.
💡 Tips to avoid this in the future
- Wash fruit under running water, not just soak.
- Inspect berries for soft spots or tiny holes where insects may enter.
- Refrigerate berries promptly; fruit flies are attracted to ripening fruit.
If you want, I can give you a safe method to clean berries that might have tiny insects without soaking them in salt water—it’s quick and effective. Do you want me to do that?
