Unintentional Ingestion
In practice, it is not possible to eliminate pest insects from the human food chain. Insects are present in many foods, especially grains. Food laws in many countries do not prohibit insect parts in food, but rather, they limit the quantity. People in rice-eating regions, for example, typically ingest significant numbers of rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) larvae, and this has been suggested as an important source of vitamins.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation specifies in the Codex Alimentarius standard for wheat (Codex Standard 152-1985 : Codex Standard for Wheat Flour) that :
3.1.2 Wheat flour shall be free from abnormal flavours, odours, and living insects. 3.1.3 Wheat flour shall be free from filth (impurities of animal origin, including dead insects) in amounts which may represent a hazard to human health.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's The Food Defect Action Levels booklet. Contamination on the average of 150 or more insect fragments per 100 grams of wheat flour, or below poses no health hazard.
Other example of the maximum permissible levels of insect contamination in food products for humans, contamination below which level, poses no health hazard, are:
| Product | Type of insect contamination | Maximum Permissible Level |
|---|---|---|
| Canned sweet corn | Insect larvae (corn ear worms or corn borers) | 2 or more 3 mm or longer larvae, cast skins, larval or cast skin fragments, the aggregate length of insects or insect parts exceeds 12 mm in 24 pounds |
| Canned citrus fruit juices | Insects and insect eggs | 5 or more Drosophila and other fly eggs per 250 ml or 1 or more maggots per 250 ml |
| Wheat flour | Insect filth | Average of 150 or more insect fragments per 100 grams |
| Frozen broccoli | Insects and mites | Average of 60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams |
| Hops | Insects | Average of more than 2,500 aphids per 10 grams |
| Ground thyme | Insect filth | Average of 925 or more insect fragments per 10 grams |
| Ground nutmeg | Insect filth | Average of 100 or more insect fragments per 10 grams |
See source for information on other food products.
Read more about this topic: Insects As Food