yuck, yuck, YUCK!!

[DietitianInTraining]

So, I went grocery shopping a couple days ago. I bought a big container of Quaker Oats, just like I always do every month. When I was putting my food away, I noticed in the back of my cubbard was another big container (I assumed was just leftover from last month) I popped open the lid, saw there was maybe a cup or so left, and poured it in with my new stuff........ and then I saw, what looked like, a baby catapiller crawling around in the oatmeal i'd just poured out......

I freaked out a little, and quickly poured about half of my new oatmeal into the trash, along with the catapiller thing.....

First of all, is my new oatmeal still okay to eat? I believe what oatmeal is left, was at the bottom and never touched the old oatmeal.

Second question, is why was there a bug in my oatmeal!?!?

And lastly, what can I do to keep bugs out of my foods!!?


In a post from 2005, Barbara L said this:

" I do know (from everything I have read) that any grains, flours, etc. come with bugs. Most don't hatch and become a problem for awhile. For this reason, I keep all those things in the freezer. It will kill them off. Whenever you bring grains or flour home, put it in the freezer for at least 24 hours. This is what I was told, and it seems to work. If you have a large freezer, like I do, you can store them in there. Just bring your flour to room temperature before using it. "

Does anyone know if that really helps prevent them? I have a big freezer, so doing this won't be a problem.....

Thanks in advance.......

-Crissy

 

[Scotch]

Relax. It's good protein, and it probably won't hurt you once it's cooked.

Seriously, certain types of bugs are common in all sorts of grains, cereals, and flours. Best way to keep them out is to transfer the contents of the box or bag to an air-tight plastic container, such as Lock-'n-Lock, as soon as you get it home. However, if the bug or the bug egg is in the package when you buy it, even that won't help, although it will prevent the bugs from spreading to other items. Freezing will help prevent the eggs from hatching, and should kill most bugs that have already hatched.

 

[quicksilver]

I don't put any dry goods in my freezers. I just don't have enough room in them. However I do transfer everything to glass jars and put a bay leave in everything.
I was told to do that with my flour, so I do it with everything dry.
I don't know if helps, but in 33 years, I've never had bugs.

 

[whole milk]

I think you just through away some perfectly good oatmeal.

I've heard people say you should freeze it but I've heard others say you shouldn't; in short, I think it's just something that might give a us a little peace of mind, and if that does for your, go for it, but don't get too freaked out by something living in your food -- it won't be alive after you cook it. Besides, we've all been eating small bugs in our grains and processed foods as long as their have been grains and processed foods.

 

[Maverick2272]

If only I had known when I clicked on this thread!

This is a subject I really seriously put lots of effort into not thinking about ever! If I did there is probably not much I would eat again!

Seriously I have no problem eating the stuff knowing there are probably 'things' in there, but once they actually show up and I can see em.. I woulda chucked the entire container.... am I squeamish much? Yes!!

 

[Robo410]

keep mine in a sealed tin or tight lidded glass jar.

 

[DietitianInTraining]

Uhg... gross.


Maverick, if I hadn't JUST bought that new container, I probably would have...


This has reminded me of when I found tiny brown, miniature moth looking bugs, in my moms flour when I was little... I've never had that happen to me (YET!) but I go through alot of flour.

What else grows bugs that I should be cautious of???

Rice? I just buy minute rice in the box... I open the little corner, thing to pour it out, then just stick it back in the cabinet..

I go through alot of sugar too, so I don't think that should be a problem...

Honestly... I suppose the 'bug eggs' don't really bother me much...I guess... but if there's something crawlin or movin in my food it's gettin a date with my trash can... immediatly...

 

[Maverick2272]

Cook it and use it up fast and don't look back or look twice.... that's my motto!! LOL

 

[DietitianInTraining]

...I'll try...

 

[buckytom]

ya want buggy food yuk?

about a year after i had gotten my first apartment, i got up in the middle of the night with the munchies, craving cereal.

without turning on the kitchen light (it wakes up the birds), i found a box of raisin bran in the cupboard and poured a bowl with some milk. i went into the living room and turned on the tv, wolfing down a few spoonfuls along the way.
another mouthful later, i remember thinking, why is my raisin bran doing that snap crackle pop thing. and why does it taste funny?

as the glow of the tv lit up the room, i looked down to find my raisin bran was crawling with mealy bugs. a whole bowl of milk soaked creepy crawlies, like right out of a horror movie!

let's just say i watch what i eat now, in more ways than one.

with the lights on.

 

[Maverick2272]

Oh geez I'm not gonna eat cereal for at least a week now....

 

[DietitianInTraining]

Oh.. my gosh.. That is so disgusting..

 

[JoeV]

another mouthful later, i remember thinking, why is my raisin bran doing that snap crackle pop thing. and why does it taste funny?

as the glow of the tv lit up the room, i looked down to find my raisin bran was crawling with mealy bugs. a whole bowl of milk soaked creepy crawlies, like right out of a horror movie!

let's just say i watch what i eat now, in more ways than one.

with the lights on.

Can anyone say YUMMO???? BT's gross out moment of the day. I love this guy...he's so much like me...always there to offer encouragement by personal example.

 

[Adillo303]

If Alix were here at the moment she would say Buckey!!!!!!! LOL - Love the story.

Anyway, cerial soes not last long in our house. I buy a box of Cherios a week and pack a bowl a day for B'Fast when I get to work. Oh! yes, The labs want a handfull to eat when I am packing.

I put all my flour in sealed plastic containers. I have not had a problem to date. Dosent mean that I will not have problems tonight. A long time ago, I had fouur in the pantry in the bags that it came in and had a problem. Long story short, I think that time is the enabler of the problem. Buy in quantities that you can use in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[AllenOK]

Adillo is right on. Buy the largest quantity that you can both afford, and use up in a reasonable amount of time.


I notice weevils in several products: Flour, buttermilk baking mix, and pasta. The first two go into the freezer for a couple days (or longer, if I buy a lot) to kill the eggs already in it. I'll pull them out as needed. Flour goes into an airtight plastic container. Baking mix usually stays in the box, as I use it pretty fast. Pasta, I just leave in the box/bag it came in, and use it quick.

Many years ago, we used to do instant oatmeal at the country club, a la carte, on the breakfast menu. One time, the morning cook opened a bag, dumped it into a bowl of water, and immediately, about a hundred weevils floated up to the top. We had never seen weevils in OATMEAL before. We tried again with a couple more packets, and both did that. We went back and looked at the case in Dry Supplies, and we had weevils crawling around all over! Crimeny! We had to tell the member that we were very sorry, but there was no oatmeal available that day. We also called the Chef and let him know; he ended up calling the vendor and griping big time, as we had just received that case a week before. No telling how long it sat around at the warehouse.

 

[Adillo303]

Funny this thread should come up. I went to make Cream of Wheat for B'Fast this weekend. I took out this nice crisp looking box and started to goto town makin it. It has long been my practice to pour dry stuff in a small bowl and "watch it" a minute or so. Anyway, no activity, B'Fast proceded without incedent. As I was putting the Cream of Wheat away, I glanced at the date on the box. Let's just say that it had a birrthday in my pantry. This got me wondering about dry goods. I am fairly good with meat, fish, poultry, dairy and I have a sticker on the front of the freezer for how long things can be frozen. I am even getting good at dating as I freeze.

This begs the question, do all of you check dates on everything including dry goods and low usage things? Do you have a margin of tolerance for such things?

 

[sparrowgrass]

Some spices, like chili powder and paprika can have those grain bugs in them. I do put grains and spices into the freezer for a couple days.

When I do find bugs, it is usually from something away back in the back of the pantry that I have forgotten about--it was tabouli, still in the unopened plastic package, the last time.

 

[Constance]

I used to have a problem with wheat bugs when I lived in Louisiana. One day my ex announced he needed two pies for a "coaches dinner" that night, and no, wives were not invited.
I had no car or phone, and when I got out the flour to make the pie crust, it had wheat bugs in it. I went ahead and made it anyway, and the crust looked like it had little poppy seeds in it.
He said everyone bragged on my pies, and commented on the delicious "nutty taste" of the crust.
Evil Grin.

 

[RobsanX]

Funny this thread should come up. I went to make Cream of Wheat for B'Fast this weekend. I took out this nice crisp looking box and started to goto town makin it. It has long been my practice to pour dry stuff in a small bowl and "watch it" a minute or so. Anyway, no activity, B'Fast proceded without incedent. As I was putting the Cream of Wheat away, I glanced at the date on the box. Let's just say that it had a birrthday in my pantry. This got me wondering about dry goods. I am fairly good with meat, fish, poultry, dairy and I have a sticker on the front of the freezer for how long things can be frozen. I am even getting good at dating as I freeze.

This begs the question, do all of you check dates on everything including dry goods and low usage things? Do you have a margin of tolerance for such things?

We cleaned out the pantry a couple weeks ago, and anything out of date or with no date went into the garbage. I tried using some old corn meal once, and it smelled old. Even if it was safe, it would have definitely tasted bad...

 

[licia]

This could be a very inexpensive lesson. You may want to check other items to see that they are completely sealed up. If you get a few of those it can be hard to find without going thru everything. I pack mine in sealed bags inside sealed cannisters, but I do put many things in the freezer for 24 hours after I purchase them - just in case there were varmints about.