It might be better not to think
about it, but all of us have been
eating fly parts and rodent hairs
almost all of our lives.
At least some such filth, along
with mold, rot, and dirt, is natural
and unavoidable as long as we eat
real food, grown in field rather
than fabricated in factories. We
could reduce the level of
contaminants,
but
only
by
stepping up the use of pesticides.
Of course, the ecological and
health
risks
from
these
chemicals
are
demonstrable,
while the main hazard from filth
in food is potential disgust.
Since 1911, the Food and Drug
Administration has regulated
these contaminants by setting
what are called “food defect
action
levels”
–
maximum
allowable levels of impurities for
Watch Those Fly
Parts
each food product. The levels,
set on the assumption of no
hazard to health, apply only to
contamination that arises at the
farm and initial processing
stages, according to Howard
Pippin of FDA’s Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Contamination
due
to
poor
sanitation at food manufacturing
facilities is not allowed, Pippin
stressed.
Traditionally, action levels have
also taken into account what is
regarded as technically feasible
for
the
food
industry.
Presumably, costs to the food
processor
have
also
been
considered. The methods used to
set the levels have actually been
quit haphazard, based to a large
extent on selecting figures well
above
the
prevailing
filth
averages in the food supply.
“Many of these [levels] date back
from many years ago,” said Pippin.
“In those days, there was much
arbitrariness.”
What’s more, the food industry
fights tooth and nail whenever
FDA periodically tries to lower
action levels, Pippin noted.
The whole issue is so sensitive
that FDA kept action levels
secret until 1972. “People don’t
like the idea of permitting filth in
food, but we know it has to be
done,”
observed
Pippin.
“Otherwise, we’d have to throw
our food away.
For those who still have the urge
to proceed further, following is a
sample of defect action levels for
a number of food products
regulated by FDA.
The U.S.
Agriculture
Department
is
responsible for meat and poultry
inspection. It does not have a
defect action list as such, but uses
different standards for regulating
filth levels.
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PRODUCT
Broccoli (frozen)
DEFECT
Insects and
mites
ACTION LEVEL
Average of 60 aphids, thrips,
or mites per 100 grams.
Cherries (fresh,
canned, or frozen)
Insects
Rot
Average of 4% insect-infested.
Average of 7% rotten.
Chocolate and
chocolate liquor
Insect filth
Average over 60 microscopic
insect fragments per 100
grams, or over 90 insect
fragments in any one 100gram sample.
Average over one rodent hair
per 100 grams, or more than
3 rodent hairs in any one
sample.
Rodent filth
Citrus fruit (juices,
canned)
Mold
Insects and
insects eggs
Mold count average over 10%.
Over 5 Drosophilia and other
fly eggs per 250 milliliters
(ml) or one maggot per 150
ml.
Corn meal
Insects and
insect filth
Average of one or more insects
per 50 grams; or average of
25 insect fragments per 25
grams.
Average of one rodent hair per
25 grams; or average of one
rodent excreta fragment per
50 grams.
Rodent filth
Dates (whole)
Multiple
defects
5% rejected dates due to
mold, dead insects, insect
excreta, dirt, or sourness.
Eggs (dried whole or
dried yolks)
Decomposition
Bacteria count over 100 million
per gram.
Fish (fresh or
frozen – 3 pounds
or less)
Decomposition
5% of fish or fillets with
definite odor of
decomposition over 25% of
area; or 20% have slight
decomposition odor over
25% of area.
Ginger (whole)
Mold or insect
filth
Average of more than 3% by
weight are moldy or insect
infested.
Average of more than 3
milligrams (mg) of
mammalian excreta per
pound.
Mammalian
excreta
Mushroom (canned
or dried)
Insects, mites,
and mold
In 100 grams of canned
mushrooms or 15 grams of
dried mushrooms, an
average of 20 maggots of
any size or 5 maggots 2
millimeters (mm) or longer;
75 mites; or 10%
decomposition.
Strawberries
(frozen, whole, or
sliced)
Mold
Mold count of at least half
the samples is more than
55%.
Tomatoes (canned)
Drosophilia fly
Average of 10 fly eggs; or 5
eggs and one maggot; or 2
maggots per 500 grams.
Wheat
Insect damage
Average of 32 insectdamaged kernels per 100
grams.
Average of 9 mg rodent
excreta pellets or pellet
fragments per kilogram.
Rodent filth