Worms in Rice

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From what I understand, most grains come with a certain number of bugs, but freezing kills them. Since I started freezing all grains and cereals for a few days, I have never had a problem.

:)Barbara

So what you're saying is that if I freeze the bugs it will kill them and their eggs and then I can eat dead bugs and eggs? Uhhhh I don't think so. :rolleyes:
 
You will often find it in rice, coucous and the Middle Eastern Mixes, flour, cake mixes, sugar, etc...it happens at the manufacturing level. Some cooking professionals will sift the bugs out and continue to use...that just grosses me out. I always return the item or toss it. The other thing is once this happens, if the package has been in your cupboard for a while, you have to check all the other items on the shelves. You could wind up with an infestation problem. My motto has always been, when in doubt, toss it out.
 
had a 6ft full-bearded Texas A&M prof teaching an entomology course to us newbies (easy on the eyes----hard to believe he was into bugs).........Dr. Franke was his name........anyway he was leading the research on providing birth control for roaches.....he once said that the industry allowed so many roach and animal particulate matter into chocolate and that most people who claim to be allergic to chocolate really aren't........it's the roach particles (which are protein-based) that they are having allergic reactions to..........hmmmmmmmmmm...........interesting.......sorry , I'm not a chocaholic........I'm a gummibearaholic............:)
 
So what you're saying is that if I freeze the bugs it will kill them and their eggs and then I can eat dead bugs and eggs? Uhhhh I don't think so. :rolleyes:
it's really worse than you think, Drama Queen and given your moniker, I'm not sure that i should really tell you........changed my mind............no don't eat it..........
 
So what you're saying is that if I freeze the bugs it will kill them and their eggs and then I can eat dead bugs and eggs? Uhhhh I don't think so. :rolleyes:
LOL They're in there. You just don't see them. They're all over the place. Do you have any idea how many little things live on your eyelashes? I saw a show about that once. :shock:

:)Barbara
 
I found bugs once in a McCormick Cayenne Pepper bottle.
That was surprising!

I made deviled eggs once and fixed a plate to share with a friend. I sprinkled the tops with paprika...and later noticed the "paprika" had moved around and clumped together on top of each egg!! It was tiny bugs!!! Yikes - I was sooo glad I hadn't given them to my friend yet. :ohmy:
 
I made deviled eggs once and fixed a plate to share with a friend. I sprinkled the tops with paprika...and later noticed the "paprika" had moved around and clumped together on top of each egg!! It was tiny bugs!!! Yikes - I was sooo glad I hadn't given them to my friend yet. :ohmy:

oh, Callie, just think of the conversation piece that would have been.......a few whiffs of Eau de Raid and noone would have noticed.....jest kidding.......:ROFLMAO:
 
Years ago I had an infestation of moths. Got to the point where it was a rule that if you saw one you could not sit down until you "disposed" of it.

I threw out hundreds of $$ of food, vacummed my cupboards - did everything I could think of. Finally found the source in a bag of nuts in the back of the drawer - the devisl had eaten their way through the plastic! All of my nuts are stored in the freezer now...perhaps that's why my dh complains about being chilly all the time!:ermm:

Last year my pup's treats developed crawlies even though they were in a closed container!

Freezing is the best preventative - we all eat stuff we'd rather not think about!
 
the wee beasties can chew through just about anything.............a friend had made me a lacquered bread basket that she had woven out of dough, baked, and put shellac on the outside..............beautiful gift and it mean a lot since she had made it herself..........months later I went to use it and the beetles had tunneled in and out of it..........I was so mad that I put it in the oven and set it at the highest temp possible........alas it killed all the beetles.......I must have cried buckets.......
 
Last year my pup's treats developed crawlies even though they were in a closed container!
Unfortunately there is still air in the closed container (unless it is vacuum-sealed) so they can still live on. Freezing for a couple days before putting in the container will definitely work.
 
When things like flour are processed, it is sifted through super fine sieves to ensure, as much as possible, that only flour gets into the flour bag. Some bug eggs are as small as flour grains so can get through the sieve. Not bugs, just their tiny little eggs.

Freezing the flour for three days kills them forever. You don't have to leave the flour in the freezer, but you can if you want. If you have whole grain flours, freezer storage may be better because whole grain flours will get rancid more quickly than white AP flour.
 
I would not consume the rice. Chances are the eggs were in the rice, and they hatched and now you have worms. The worms are unlikely to leave.

Depending on when you bought the bag of rice, you may be able to take the rice back to the store and get your money back, provided you have not consumed a significant portion of the package. I had a similar problem several weeks ago. I bought a 10 lb bag of Basmati rice from a local Indian grocery store. I came home and tried to cook some, and immediately saw the little critters. Took it back to the store. The owner tells me that since I opened the bag, they would not take it back! I said that next time they should label their bags of rice as "With Worms" and "Without Worms" - that way I would know what rice not to buy, and therefore would not have to return rice! They relented and gave me my money back!
 
LOL They're in there. You just don't see them. They're all over the place. Do you have any idea how many little things live on your eyelashes? I saw a show about that once. :shock:

:)Barbara

OOOHHHHH lordy, I saw that show too. I now know that our bodies are covered with billions of tiny parasites, especially our scalp and eyelashes. How disgusting is that? But I'm not eating them. Or am I?
 
Okay here we go. I'm so totally grossed out I can hardly type. I opened my Tupperware contianer of brown rice to make for dinner tonight and was bowled over by the thousands of mealworms and flying whatevers. AAACCKK. I couldn't stand to keep the container so I threw the whole thing in the trash. Is there a way to keep rice from becoming contaminated? This bag was fairly new so I wonder if the bugs were there when I bought it. No other rice or pasta products in my pantry has this problem. I know we went through this but I don't want to have to go through this whole thread again to find the answer if I can help it.
 
As stated throughout this thread, one needs to freeze the flour or rice for a few days to kill any larvae or immediately vacuum seal the contents which will also kill them.

The larvae are in the rice at the time of harvest. Cannot be avoided. Some bags and times of year are worse than others. The companies do their best to be bug free but that's like trying to swat rain.
 
As stated throughout this thread, one needs to freeze the flour or rice for a few days to kill any larvae or immediately vacuum seal the contents which will also kill them.

The larvae are in the rice at the time of harvest. Cannot be avoided. Some bags and times of year are worse than others. The companies do their best to be bug free but that's like trying to swat rain.

I love rice and in all my life I have never seen this happen before. In pasta yes, especially sea shell pasta. Great for nesting. AAACCCKK. So now I have to either give up rice, or know that I'm eating dead larvae. OMG!!! There could be worse things I guess.

Thanks for the freezing tip. I will do just that and try not to gag. :LOL:

 
I have not even looked at this thread until now and I'm paranoid and freaked out at the moment. Wow.... I guess I will be keeping a closer eye on my pantry goods!
 
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