The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows a certain level of bugs (and bug parts) to be present in our food supply. People call this the “ick factor.” The truth is, there is a good chance we are all eating a variety of insects every day in a wide variety of foods. Although it may sound gross, the truth is eating insects is trendy. Last month I was called upon the media to talk about food trends for 2015,
and I made sure to include cricket protein from Next Millennium Farms in my lineup because it's growing in popularity across North America.
It’s not uncommon to find an insect or two lurking in fresh vegetables, especially when the items come straight from the farm or the produce stand. It’s also not unusual to accidentally swallow a bug or two during your lifetime. However, it’s been estimated that the average person unintentionally consumes about one pound of bugs per year.
Where do these bugs come from? The FDA allows specific amounts of insects and insect parts (as well as mold, excrement, rodent hairs, mold, and grit) in our food supply. It also has established what it calls action levels, which means a food item can contain levels of insects (and other foreign materials) below the stated amounts. These bugs and other substances enter the food supply during harvesting and processing.
Read about the health and environmental benefits of consuming insect protein
The FDA states that these action levels are necessary because it is “economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects.” The substances allowed in foods are not considered to be harmful by the FDA; in fact, hazardous components “are subject to regulatory action whether or not they exceed the action levels.”
When levels of so-called non-dangerous items equal or exceed the action level, that’s when the FDA steps in. Thus action levels “represent limits at which FDA will regard the food product ‘adulterated,’ and subject to enforcement under Section 402(a)(3) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act.”
Icky bugs you may be eating
Here’s a list of specific bugs you may be eating, some of the foods you may find them in, and the action levels for each. I have also included a category called “Miscellaneous,” because the FDA has classifications known as “insect filth” (which includes insect fragments), insect larvae, and “insects,” all of which do not name specific bugs.
Read more about controversial foods you might be eating everyday
1. Thrips
Approximately 6,000 different species of thrips can be found around the world. These minute (1-2 mm long) insects also are allowed in varying amounts in some foods. Sample action levels:
- Sauerkraut: more than 50 thrips per 100 grams
- Spinach (canned or frozen): 50 or more thrips and/or aphids and/or mites per 100 grams
- Asparagus (canned or frozen): 40 or more thrips and/or aphids and/or mite per 100 grams
- Brussels sprouts: 30 or more thrips and/or aphids per 100 grams
2. Aphids
Aphids are tiny sap-sucking insects. About 250 of the more than 4,400 different species can cause damage to crops and other plants, so you may find them in your food. Sample action levels:
- Hops: more than 2,500 aphids per 10 grams (does this mean there could be aphids in your beer?)
- Spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts: see Thrips
3. Corn earworms
Corn earworms have a special hankering for sweet corn, but they will also attack tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, peppers, and soybeans. When it comes to the ick factor, however, the FDA action levels are 2 or more 3 mm or longer larvae or their skins, 12 mm per 24 pounds of sweet corn.
4. Fruit flies
Fruit flies, also known as Drosophilia, can be found in our food supply in the form of eggs and/or maggots in a variety of products.
- Tomato paste, pizza and other sauces: 30 or more fly eggs per 100 grams; OR 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams
- Tomato juice: 10 or more eggs per 100 grams OR 5 or more eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams
- Tomatoes (canned): 10 or more eggs per 500 grams OR 5 or more eggs and 1 or more maggots per 500 grams
- Golden raisins: 35 eggs per 8 ounces
- Citrus fruit juice (canned): 5 or more eggs per 250 milliliters OR 1 or more maggots per 250 milliliters
5. Mites
Mites are extremely small (some are microscopic) insect-like creatures, of which there are more than 48,000 species. Those that affect plants tend to hang out on the underside of the leaves. Sample action levels:
- Mushrooms: 75 mites per 100 grams canned or 15 grams dried
- Spinach and asparagus: see Thrips
6. Miscellaneous
Here are some of the foods and spices for which the FDA allows specific levels of insect fragments, insect larvae, or insect filth. In these cases, the types of insects usually are not identified individually. Allspice, apple butter, berries (canned and frozen; e.g., blueberries, raspberries), chocolate and chocolate liquor, cinnamon (ground), cornmeal, curry powder, figs, macaroni and noodle products, oregano, paprika (ground), peaches (canned and frozen), peanut butter, peas and beans (dried), sesame seed, and wheat flour.
If you consciously want to eat bugs, then check out Next Millennium Farm's insect protein. If you don't, you could try to reduce your exposure by avoiding all foods that have been processed, and thoroughly wash all produce (conventionally and organically grown) to remove bugs and bug fragments. However, it is virtually impossible to avoid all insects and insect fragments.
Image: Maximilian Paradiz
