Sometimes we barely have the energy to cook a hearty meal, so we pop pre-cooked food in the microwave and call it a day. There’s no harm in that, right? Well, this woman from Twitter begs to differ.

After microwaving her bag of ALDI frozen vegetables, she came across a bizarre phenomenon that left her speechless.

A shopper shared her concerns over ALDI’s frozen veggies on Twitter recently after she saw the food ‘sparking’ while reheating it in the microwave.

She posted the video of the bizarre phenomena and tagged ALDI to get answers. The product was in the microwave and barely 10 seconds in, the vegetables seemed to be catching fire.

The plate is full of vegetables. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

‘Hi ALDI, can you tell me please why these Market Fresh Winter Vegetables would be sparking?’ The woman wrote.

She added: The plate is microwave safe but it seems that your veggies are not?’

In the clip, the woman was holding a plate of Market Fresh Winter Veggies and placed them in her microwave.

‘Nothing special,’ she said before setting the timer for 20 seconds. Not long after pressing the ‘start’ button, sparks started shooting up, smoke began to rise, and the vegetables looked like they were about to catch fire.

The woman pressed the stop button and took the veggies out.

‘Why?’ She asked. You can watch the woman’s video here.

The vegetables looked like they were going to light on fire. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

ALDI responded directly to the woman, but only provided a product feedback form so she may direct her concerns there instead. The supermarket chain made no further comment on the matter.

This phenomenon, although scary, is quite common. It’s called the ‘Arcing Effect’ and usually happens with foods that contain high amounts of minerals. This includes iron, magnesium, and selenium.

These minerals act like ‘tiny pieces of metal’, and the electromagnetic waves from the microwave will bounce off them – its effect is similar to placing a fork inside, which will know will cause sparks to fly.

Dense vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, spinach, and green peppers contain higher amounts of minerals, so these may not be ‘microwave-safe’. Other foods that may explode in the microwave are:

• potatoes (unless you poke holes before cooking)
• shelled eggs
• tomatoes and tomato sauce
• lemons
• limes
• oranges
• hot dogs
• eggplant
• whole grapes

Foods that may spark include:

• kale
• capsicum
• onions
• carrots
• green beans
• spinach
• sliced grapes

If your microwave is sparking or ‘arcing’, the video below offers helpful tips to pinpoint the problems and fix them:

​

Key Takeaways

• A shopper posted a video on Twitter of frozen veggies she was cooking in a microwave that started sparking and smoking.
• The woman was shocked at what happened and brought the incident to the attention of ALDI, who sent her a product feedback form so she may direct her complaints there.
• The ‘Arcing Effect’ is a phenomenon that affects denser vegetables rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium. These minerals will act like tiny pieces of metal that will reflect the microwave’s electromagnetic field – creating the ‘sparking’ effect seen in the woman’s video.

Well, we certainly learned something new today. How about you, members? Were you aware of the ‘Arcing Effect’?

 

[rehandra]

Sometimes we barely have the energy to cook a hearty meal, so we pop pre-cooked food in the microwave and call it a day. There’s no harm in that, right? Well, this woman from Twitter begs to differ.

After microwaving her bag of ALDI frozen vegetables, she came across a bizarre phenomenon that left her speechless.

A shopper shared her concerns over ALDI’s frozen veggies on Twitter recently after she saw the food ‘sparking’ while reheating it in the microwave.

She posted the video of the bizarre phenomena and tagged ALDI to get answers. The product was in the microwave and barely 10 seconds in, the vegetables seemed to be catching fire.

View attachment 10686

The plate is full of vegetables. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

‘Hi ALDI, can you tell me please why these Market Fresh Winter Vegetables would be sparking?’ The woman wrote.

She added: The plate is microwave safe but it seems that your veggies are not?’

In the clip, the woman was holding a plate of Market Fresh Winter Veggies and placed them in her microwave.

‘Nothing special,’ she said before setting the timer for 20 seconds. Not long after pressing the ‘start’ button, sparks started shooting up, smoke began to rise, and the vegetables looked like they were about to catch fire.

The woman pressed the stop button and took the veggies out.

‘Why?’ She asked. You can watch the woman’s video here.

View attachment 10687

The vegetables looked like they were going to light on fire. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

ALDI responded directly to the woman, but only provided a product feedback form so she may direct her concerns there instead. The supermarket chain made no further comment on the matter.

This phenomenon, although scary, is quite common. It’s called the ‘Arcing Effect’ and usually happens with foods that contain high amounts of minerals. This includes iron, magnesium, and selenium.

These minerals act like ‘tiny pieces of metal’, and the electromagnetic waves from the microwave will bounce off them – its effect is similar to placing a fork inside, which will know will cause sparks to fly.

Dense vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, spinach, and green peppers contain higher amounts of minerals, so these may not be ‘microwave-safe’. Other foods that may explode in the microwave are:

• potatoes (unless you poke holes before cooking)
• shelled eggs
• tomatoes and tomato sauce
• lemons
• limes
• oranges
• hot dogs
• eggplant
• whole grapes

Foods that may spark include:

• kale
• capsicum
• onions
• carrots
• green beans
• spinach
• sliced grapes

If your microwave is sparking or ‘arcing’, the video below offers helpful tips to pinpoint the problems and fix them:

​

Key Takeaways

• A shopper posted a video on Twitter of frozen veggies she was cooking in a microwave that started sparking and smoking.
• The woman was shocked at what happened and brought the incident to the attention of ALDI, who sent her a product feedback form so she may direct her complaints there.
• The ‘Arcing Effect’ is a phenomenon that affects denser vegetables rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium. These minerals will act like tiny pieces of metal that will reflect the microwave’s electromagnetic field – creating the ‘sparking’ effect seen in the woman’s video.

Well, we certainly learned something new today. How about you, members? Were you aware of the ‘Arcing Effect’?

Very interesting. I always put my frozen veg in a covered container and have never had any problem. Never have I put them direct onto a plate as the lady did. Wonder if that had anything to do with it

 

[Nardia]

I put my frozen vegetables in a covered container with a small amount of water. Always taste good.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I do the same, never had a problem

 

[Penny4]

That's strange, never seen frozen vegetables sparking.
I'm sure the issue would be due to not adding a bit of water. Such basic knowledge that highlights the woman didn't read her microwave manual.

 

[KarenS]

Cover the container in which you do the veggies! Either use a lid with holes for steam escape, or sit a cover bigger than the vege container over the top. Been doing frozen veg for years, in at least 4 different microwaves - never had a problem!

 

[mark godwin]

Very interesting. I always put my frozen veg in a covered container and have never had any problem. Never have I put them direct onto a plate as the lady did. Wonder if that had anything to do with it

Mayby you just don,t see it !

 

[JayKay]

When something sparks in a microwave, it makes a noise as well as emitting sparks.
I think the noise would attract your attention to the fireworks display.

 

[jenj]

Sometimes we barely have the energy to cook a hearty meal, so we pop pre-cooked food in the microwave and call it a day. There’s no harm in that, right? Well, this woman from Twitter begs to differ.

After microwaving her bag of ALDI frozen vegetables, she came across a bizarre phenomenon that left her speechless.

A shopper shared her concerns over ALDI’s frozen veggies on Twitter recently after she saw the food ‘sparking’ while reheating it in the microwave.

She posted the video of the bizarre phenomena and tagged ALDI to get answers. The product was in the microwave and barely 10 seconds in, the vegetables seemed to be catching fire.

View attachment 10686

The plate is full of vegetables. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

‘Hi ALDI, can you tell me please why these Market Fresh Winter Vegetables would be sparking?’ The woman wrote.

She added: The plate is microwave safe but it seems that your veggies are not?’

In the clip, the woman was holding a plate of Market Fresh Winter Veggies and placed them in her microwave.

‘Nothing special,’ she said before setting the timer for 20 seconds. Not long after pressing the ‘start’ button, sparks started shooting up, smoke began to rise, and the vegetables looked like they were about to catch fire.

The woman pressed the stop button and took the veggies out.

‘Why?’ She asked. You can watch the woman’s video here.

View attachment 10687

The vegetables looked like they were going to light on fire. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

ALDI responded directly to the woman, but only provided a product feedback form so she may direct her concerns there instead. The supermarket chain made no further comment on the matter.

This phenomenon, although scary, is quite common. It’s called the ‘Arcing Effect’ and usually happens with foods that contain high amounts of minerals. This includes iron, magnesium, and selenium.

These minerals act like ‘tiny pieces of metal’, and the electromagnetic waves from the microwave will bounce off them – its effect is similar to placing a fork inside, which will know will cause sparks to fly.

Dense vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, spinach, and green peppers contain higher amounts of minerals, so these may not be ‘microwave-safe’. Other foods that may explode in the microwave are:

• potatoes (unless you poke holes before cooking)
• shelled eggs
• tomatoes and tomato sauce
• lemons
• limes
• oranges
• hot dogs
• eggplant
• whole grapes

Foods that may spark include:

• kale
• capsicum
• onions
• carrots
• green beans
• spinach
• sliced grapes

If your microwave is sparking or ‘arcing’, the video below offers helpful tips to pinpoint the problems and fix them:

​

Key Takeaways

• A shopper posted a video on Twitter of frozen veggies she was cooking in a microwave that started sparking and smoking.
• The woman was shocked at what happened and brought the incident to the attention of ALDI, who sent her a product feedback form so she may direct her complaints there.
• The ‘Arcing Effect’ is a phenomenon that affects denser vegetables rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium. These minerals will act like tiny pieces of metal that will reflect the microwave’s electromagnetic field – creating the ‘sparking’ effect seen in the woman’s video.

Well, we certainly learned something new today. How about you, members? Were you aware of the ‘Arcing Effect’?

I have been microwaving frozen veg including Aldis in a proper microwave safe container with a lid for years in different microwave ovens and never had an issue.

 

[Wandiwa]

You wanna see sparks, pop a CD in the oven and run for ONLY 3 seconds, impressive, if you can put up with the smell !!!!

 

[Rosie]

I had the same problem with the Aldi frozen vege mix and mine were in a sealed casserole dish. Lots of burnt areas and yet still not cooked. Definitely won’t buy those again.

 

[JehazFNQ]

Not sure, but I would suspect that the phenomenon is more likely to be small puffs of steam release from structures in the veggies rather than true arcing. Sort of like what happens when you microwave “sealed” foods such as potatoes and grapes. A small amount of liquid plus covering the food should avoid it, allowing the food to steam rather than bake and probably burn.

 

[Macarj]

That's strange, never seen frozen vegetables sparking.
I'm sure the issue would be due to not adding a bit of water. Such basic knowledge that highlights the woman didn't read her microwave manual.

That's right

 

[mark godwin]

When something sparks in a microwave, it makes a noise as well as emitting sparks.
I think the noise would attract your attention to the fireworks display.

could be right , i left a fork in a bowl and it really went off .

 

[RhodaStarr]

Leave them in the bag. Some vegetables have small individual packs, otherwise put in a sealed container with a vented lid. They have a little popup lid.

 

[Cheb]

When I bought my first microwave from a shop that only sold microwaves.
Included was 2, two-hour lessons on cooking in a microwave.
Firstly, we were told to always use a rack underneath the cooking plate or dish.
This was to enable the wave to get under the plate or dish, to make for more even
cooking. Also, to always cover the food with plastic wrap, a paper towel or a microwave proof cover.
I have cooked many roast legs of lamb, corned beef and cakes and slices without
any problems.

 

[Lynjw]

Sometimes we barely have the energy to cook a hearty meal, so we pop pre-cooked food in the microwave and call it a day. There’s no harm in that, right? Well, this woman from Twitter begs to differ.

After microwaving her bag of ALDI frozen vegetables, she came across a bizarre phenomenon that left her speechless.

A shopper shared her concerns over ALDI’s frozen veggies on Twitter recently after she saw the food ‘sparking’ while reheating it in the microwave.

She posted the video of the bizarre phenomena and tagged ALDI to get answers. The product was in the microwave and barely 10 seconds in, the vegetables seemed to be catching fire.

View attachment 10686

The plate is full of vegetables. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

‘Hi ALDI, can you tell me please why these Market Fresh Winter Vegetables would be sparking?’ The woman wrote.

She added: The plate is microwave safe but it seems that your veggies are not?’

In the clip, the woman was holding a plate of Market Fresh Winter Veggies and placed them in her microwave.

‘Nothing special,’ she said before setting the timer for 20 seconds. Not long after pressing the ‘start’ button, sparks started shooting up, smoke began to rise, and the vegetables looked like they were about to catch fire.

The woman pressed the stop button and took the veggies out.

‘Why?’ She asked. You can watch the woman’s video here.

View attachment 10687

The vegetables looked like they were going to light on fire. Credit: RaraAvis78/Twitter

ALDI responded directly to the woman, but only provided a product feedback form so she may direct her concerns there instead. The supermarket chain made no further comment on the matter.

This phenomenon, although scary, is quite common. It’s called the ‘Arcing Effect’ and usually happens with foods that contain high amounts of minerals. This includes iron, magnesium, and selenium.

These minerals act like ‘tiny pieces of metal’, and the electromagnetic waves from the microwave will bounce off them – its effect is similar to placing a fork inside, which will know will cause sparks to fly.

Dense vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, spinach, and green peppers contain higher amounts of minerals, so these may not be ‘microwave-safe’. Other foods that may explode in the microwave are:

• potatoes (unless you poke holes before cooking)
• shelled eggs
• tomatoes and tomato sauce
• lemons
• limes
• oranges
• hot dogs
• eggplant
• whole grapes

Foods that may spark include:

• kale
• capsicum
• onions
• carrots
• green beans
• spinach
• sliced grapes

If your microwave is sparking or ‘arcing’, the video below offers helpful tips to pinpoint the problems and fix them:

​

Key Takeaways

• A shopper posted a video on Twitter of frozen veggies she was cooking in a microwave that started sparking and smoking.
• The woman was shocked at what happened and brought the incident to the attention of ALDI, who sent her a product feedback form so she may direct her complaints there.
• The ‘Arcing Effect’ is a phenomenon that affects denser vegetables rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium. These minerals will act like tiny pieces of metal that will reflect the microwave’s electromagnetic field – creating the ‘sparking’ effect seen in the woman’s video.

Well, we certainly learned something new today. How about you, members? Were you aware of the ‘Arcing Effect’?

Wow. That’s frustrating. Seems mist veggies aren’t microwaveable.