Aldi shopper’s pantry photo sparks heated online debate

An Aldi shopper’s pantry photo has sparked a massive online debate about whether a certain condiment belongs in the fridge or cupboard.

A woman’s innocent photo has sparked an age-old pantry debate, and it’s got some people really fired up.

Taking to the popular Facebook group Aldi Mums, the Aussie just wanted to show off the bargain lights she installed in her pantry.

However, some people were more interested in the fact she had tomato sauce sitting on a shelf in her pantry, instead of the fridge.

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A woman uploaded this snap to a Aldi Facebook group showing off the lights she bought for her pantry. Picture: Facebook/AldiMums

“Thanks Aldi, lights in my pantry. They do not have a sensor. They do have a remote or can be used manually. They can also change colour,” she captioned the post.

The image showed a light installed above each of the three shelves in her pantry, alongside a clear shot of what was also inside the cupboard.

While some complemented her on the lighting, others couldn’t help but comment on why her tomato sauce wasn’t in the fridge.

“Who keeps tomato sauce in the pantry?” one person wrote, while another responded: “Not me, not since I saw a post about someone finding maggots in their sauce. Ever since then it’s fridge for me.”

“All these sauce comments! I keep mine in the pantry, haven’t killed anyone yet lol. Lights look great!” a third person added.

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But it was this bottle of tomato sauce in her pantry that got people fired up. Picture: Facebook/AldiMums

Another person said whoever stores sauce in the pantry is “disgusting”.

“It literally says refrigerate after opening. Plus nothing better than cold sauce and hot chip,” they continued.

“This is awesome but we need to talk! Is the sauce open? If it is plz fridge! And is that soy sauce? Pls fridge! But everything else is awesome,” said another person.

The debate continued, with some people defending the pantry and others on “team fridge”.

“I keep all my sauces in the pantry — tomato, BBQ, soya sauce, Maggi sauce, Masterfoods American mustard in the dispenser bottle — but not dressings, jars of mustard or chutneys, those I keep in the fridge after they are open,” another person wrote.

Others jumped to the shopper’s defence, with some suggesting the tomato sauce could have been unopened.

“Oooohhhh look at all the pantry police,” one woman wrote.

“Geez it’s about the lights and people going on about sauce, who cares whether it’s in the pantry or fridge. That’s up to the individual how you want to store.”

Where should you store tomato sauce?

According to experts, some brands of tomato sauce don’t need to be stored in the fridge after opening.

“Once opened, tomato sauce is generally microbially stable due to its low pH, so unless stated on the pack, refrigeration is not required,” University of Otago food microbiologist professor Phil Bremer told Stuff.

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Some people argued it belonged in the fridge, especially once opened, while others said it was OK to remain in the pantry. Picture: Supplied

“However, refrigeration does no harm and will slow chemical and colour changes that over extended periods of time may alter the sauce’s sensory properties.”

Other experts argue that because tomatoes are naturally acidic, this helps to preserve the product.

“Sometimes people keep ketchup in the fridge, simply because they prefer a chilled taste, but otherwise it doesn’t need to be refrigerated,” Registered UK dietitian Dr Sarah Schenker told independent consumer choice organisation Which?

So, where do you keep your tomato sauce? Vote in our poll.