Worms in Rice

[mcnerd]

Excellent protein and a good part of your daily nutritional requirements.

Rice and Flour are not half as bad as some other foods. Sometimes its best just to enjoy and not know.

 

[sattie]

I had some of those fancy-schmancy cookies from Europe or Russia... little cookies that come about 12 in a box and have their own little compartment when you pull out the plastic insert..

Anyhow.. .I was muching and muching and muching away on this things.... mmmm what good little cookies! When I got towards the end of the box, I reached down to pick up another cookie and there was a worm squirming around in the bottom. And the last cookies had webs and cocoons all over them.

I barfed....

 

[expatgirl]

this thread should be required reading for all people on diets so that they won't eat too much dressing, too many rolls, too many cookies or pies, too much rice, too much gravy,.........as far as I know flour moths and beetles don't care for turkey or cranberry sauce......or steamed veggies.......who would have thought that they'd be the calorie watcher's dream team????

 

[Claire]

I was very disappointed to bring home a bag of couscous in bulk ... to find it full of dark little crawling things. Oh, ick. I now by Mideast brand, a bit at a time. I've also had the same problem with bulk rice. Ooooh. Not fun. If you have to throw away 20+ lbs of grain, it isn't much of a bargain.

 

[buckytom]

this thread always cracks me up every time i see it while lurker surfing.

We often face this problem in India.

We add a handful salt to the rice and mix properly. The worms will leave the rice after some time.

In the time of cooking take required quantity of salted rice and wash with water, the rice will be salt free and cook.

umm, yeah, , the salt makes them leave...

c'mon, salt dehydrates them into slightly darker grains of rice.



don't ask about how rice-a-roni got started.

 

[Mad Cook]

I purchased a bag of rice and a couple of weeks later the bag had worms in it - some of the worms had morphed into moth-like insects. What would cause this? The rice is in a waterproof bag that has a zip-lock seal so nothing can get in from outside. The same thing happened to a friend of mine too - same store same brand of rice. Now this rice is over $25 per bag and the package is nothing short of stellar. Any help would be appreciated -

I'd be inclined to report this to my local public health department or whoever is responsible for inspecting commercial food premises. If this supplier is making a habit of selling insanitary foodstuffs they need to be prosecuted not just made to replace it or refund the price. And I wouldn't patronise that shop again.

 

[Mad Cook]

I'd be inclined to report this to my local public health department** or whoever is responsible for inspecting commercial food premises. If this supplier is making a habit of selling insanitary foodstuffs they need to be prosecuted not just made to replace it or refund the price. And I wouldn't patronise that shop again.

**And provide the evidence if you still have it.

I can't believe this happens in a civilised country in the 21st century. I'm reminded of 19th century sailors rapping their hard tack on the boards to evict the weevils! Yet the replies to the original post suggest that it is quite common.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I doubt they still have the product, the original post was in 2008.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Looks like you have mealworms in your rice. This happens often with rice, pasta and some other dry grains. It's possible the eggs were in the rice at the time it was packaged. I would chuck it and try to buy rice in bulk so you can look through it as you pour into your bag.

I can't even imagine why you are paying $25.00 per bag for rice. How big is this bag and what kind of rice is $25.00 per bag????

DramaQueen,
Let's not question about cost. It may be a very big bag and there are a lot of different rice out there. Peoples' budgets are very different in here.

I think it should be tossed out. Do you have the original receipt? If so, return the bag to the store and find a better one without bugs. But certainly don't use it with bugs in it.

I once bought a bag of cat food and when I got home to open it, it was full of bugs. I went back to the store and got my money back and bought another bag at a different store.

Yes, the cat food is one of the more expensive kinds but it soothes their tummies and cuts way down on hairballs. I hope you can replace that bag of rice with a clean bag. Yuck.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I doubt they still have the product, the original post was in 2008.

Yikes! I didn't notice.

 

[roadfix]

So, does adding salt really work? My wife recently threw out over 20 lbs of rice because of this.

 

[Mad Cook]

I doubt they still have the product, the original post was in 2008.

I didn't resurrect it. Bucky did.

Anyway, what I said still applies. Surely it's illegal to sell goods in this condition. The seller and/or the packer would be prosecuted if they did it here.

About 20 years ago there was a spate of shops opened selling loose "help-yourself" dry goods - flours, rice, pasta, dried beans, raisins, etc. I never fancied the idea and didn't buy the goods and the shops didn't last long once the local authorities' Environmental Health Departments started to get complaints about contaminated goods - weevils, insect eggs and their larvae, dead flies, and cockroaches, mouse and rat droppings, etc!!!!

Ugh!

 

[Steve Kroll]

So, does adding salt really work? My wife recently threw out over 20 lbs of rice because of this.

Salt doesn't work, but freezing does. Throw the bag of rice in the freezer for a day or two and all the critters will be dead.

Although I'm not sure eating dead larvae is any more enticing than eating live ones.

 

[Cheryl J]

Salt doesn't work, but freezing does. Throw the bag of rice in the freezer for a day or two and all the critters will be dead.

Although I'm not sure eating dead larvae is any more enticing than eating live ones.

Truth! Ugh...I shudder to think of all the little critters I've inadvertently eaten that I don't know about.

 

[slowcookersman]

Where did you get it?

I purchased a bag of rice and a couple of weeks later the bag had worms in it - some of the worms had morphed into moth-like insects. What would cause this? The rice is in a waterproof bag that has a zip-lock seal so nothing can get in from outside. The same thing happened to a friend of mine too - same store same brand of rice. Now this rice is over $25 per bag and the package is nothing short of stellar. Any help would be appreciated -

Wow, which shop did you get it from? Rice for $25 never heard that before!

 

[GotGarlic]

Wow, which shop did you get it from? Rice for $25 never heard that before!

Just FYI, that post was written in 2005 and the original poster (OP) never posted again, so he/she won't be answering your question

I've seen 25- and 50-pound bags of rice in Asian grocery stores. Many Asians have it several times per day, so they would go through it pretty fast.

 

[BoracayB]

I buy my rice in a 50 kilo sack. Last 1 was $54 US. We have a wicker tray about 2' in diameter we shake out the rice we will use for a couple days. While shaking we remove any bugs, stones and husks.
The stores here get most dry goods in bulk and repackage. Different flours, sugar (white and brown).

 

[folsomjulie]

Wow very disturbing find. Hopefully the store was able to give you a refund and an apology. Thankfully you did not eat any of the worms and who knows what other insects were in the mix. Will definitely make sure I look for any open tears next time I shop for a sack of rice. May stick too Uncle Bens after hearing this disaster, literally getting goose bumps as I type this.

 

[GotGarlic]

Wow very disturbing find. Hopefully the store was able to give you a refund and an apology. Thankfully you did not eat any of the worms and who knows what other insects were in the mix. Will definitely make sure I look for any open tears next time I shop for a sack of rice. May stick too Uncle Bens after hearing this disaster, literally getting goose bumps as I type this.

Julie, if you read the thread, you would see that the bag doesn't have to be open for insect eggs to be in the product. That happens when it's still in the field. If you put the bag in the freezer for a couple of days, the cold will kill any infestation.

 

[Kayelle]

Julie, if you read the thread, you would see that the bag doesn't have to be open for insect eggs to be in the product. That happens when it's still in the field. If you put the bag in the freezer for a couple of days, the cold will kill any infestation.

and you have worm Popsicles.