Worms in Rice, Water Chestnuts... But What Else?

[huluholler]

I read the threads here about finding worms in rice. I had found a worm in jasmine rice a few months ago. Since then, I have been adamant about RINSING the rice beforehand...

What other foods should be rinsed or stored properly to remove/avoid vermin?

The reason I ask: I bought a can of water chestnuts yesterday and as I was chopping them up, I found a different type of much larger worm. This was quite shocking to me as I only knew water chestnuts could have microscopic parasites like tape worms (for which a lot of people say to blanch them first). Caution: image attached

Are these types of "findings" worth reporting to a grocery store or manufacturer, or I should I just accept the fact that we ingest these little guys all the time?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That feller would not have made it through the canning process, chances are he came from some fresh veggies you were also prepping.

 

[Dawgluver]

Ewww.

Welcome to DC! I would agree with PF.

Here's some appetizing info from the FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecom...on/guidancedocuments/sanitation/ucm056174.htm

 

[huluholler]

Sorry kind of gross.

The picture is misleading (taken with phone). The worm was probably only 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, and was camouflaged with the water chestnuts in regards to color (was a white translucent yellow). It turned brown.

I know it came from the can because I found it as I was picking out water chestnuts from the can to cut and it was attached to one. Now I know to rinse vegetables even if they're canned.

The only other vegetables I had in the kitchen were frozen ones (shh!) and they were unopened.

Thanks for the FDA link. I was initially wondering if the Asian manufacturers have less stringent operations and somehow it gets here without proper inspection. But looking back at the can, it is the Safeway brand. Knowing that I will give them a call.

Unfortunately now I can't help but feel uneasy every time I eat rice and water chestnuts...

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Oh, I thought you meant he was alive and he had crawled to the edge of the plate....sorry.

Yup, things need to be rinsed. Watch boxed items, too for bugs...

BTW, welcome to DC glad to have you on board.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thank you for the heads up! I'm definitely going to check my water chestnuts before using.

I recall a story where someone bought a sealed bag of lettuce, and there was a live frog in it.

Ah, here it is:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/costco-frog-salad_n_1072236.html

And:

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/woman-says-she-found-live-frog-unopened-bag-lettuc/nSmnT/

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thank you for the heads up! I'm definitely going to check my water chestnuts before using.

I recall a story where someone bought a sealed bag of lettuce, and there was a live frog in it.

Okay, no more bagged lettuce for me...

 

[mmyap]

Thank you for the heads up! I'm definitely going to check my water chestnuts before using.

I recall a story where someone bought a sealed bag of lettuce, and there was a live frog in it.

OH MY GAWD! ::thud, fainted dead away::

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Medics!!!!

 

[CharlieD]

Ewwww, yuk. Thank G-d I keep kosher and everythting gets checked for that kind of stuff.

 

[taxlady]

As the owner of the salad company mentions, it proves that there isn't a lot of pesticide and poison on the lettuce.

 

[Skittle68]

As the owner of the salad company mentions, it proves that there isn't a lot of pesticide and poison on the lettuce.

Good point! And I'd rather find a live frog than a slimy dead frog! I would probably rinse the lettuce and wonder what to do with the little critter in my cold climate. He probably would have ended up in a terrarium of some sort, eating crickets, knowing me lol.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Good point! And I'd rather find a live frog than a slimy dead frog! I would probably rinse the lettuce and wonder what to do with the little critter in my cold climate. He probably would have ended up in a terrarium of some sort, eating crickets, knowing me lol.

That would happen after I recovered from finding him and if my screams didn't send him into shock...then I'd be on the phone to a guy I know that loves crawlies.

 

[Skittle68]

That would happen after I recovered from finding him and if my screams didn't send him into shock...then I'd be on the phone to a guy I know that loves crawlies.

+1

 

[buckytom]

i have a huge apple tree in my back yard of which i've enjoyed watching ethnocentric, non-english speaking neighbors bite into a stolen apple only to find a creepy crawlie in their gob.

if they spoke to me first, i would have warned them to use a knife. but apparently pride goeth before the worm.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

i have a huge apple tree in my back yard of which i've enjoyed watching ethnocentric, non-english speaking neighbors bite into a stolen apple only to find a creepy crawlie in their gob.

if they spoke to me first, i would have warned them to use a knife. but apparently pride goeth before the worm.

I like that, BT, including the pun.

Let's face it folks, we live in a world inhabited by lots of other creatures besides us. They're all trying to bring forth the next generation of their own kind, just like we are. The problem is, some of those other creatures are nasty little vermin that carry bad things, and give them to us.

When I find creepy-crawlies, I generally turn them into fish bait. Fish are much less picky about the things they eat, that is until I fish for them. Then, they become very picky indeed.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I used to prep and set up the salad bar in a restaurant. 5 minutes before opening, I was looking at my creation and there on the edge was an inch-worm inching for it's life down the bar. He had made it through multiple rinses, chopping, etc. I let him go outside, figured he'd earned it.

 

[GLC]

i have a huge apple tree in my back yard of which i've enjoyed watching ethnocentric, non-english speaking neighbors bite into a stolen apple only to find a creepy crawlie in their gob.

if they spoke to me first, i would have warned them to use a knife. but apparently pride goeth before the worm.

One of life's great lessons on the subtle difference between the significant and the insignificant is the difference between finding a work in your apple and finding half a worm.

 

[jennyema]

I read the threads here about finding worms in rice. I had found a worm in jasmine rice a few months ago. Since then, I have been adamant about RINSING the rice beforehand...

I hope you threw that rice away!

 

[CraigC]

I once bought a can of Hungarian sweet paprika, opened the section of the lid for spooning and removed a Tbsp of it. Just before adding it to a bowl with other ingredients, I noticed it was "moving". The can was full of these little, live, brown bugs. The paprika was imported as is and not repackaged here.