The cute picture of two mice or rats gardening seems pretty harmless and certainly no threat to human health. But, in real life, mice do not wear clothes and keep neat and orderly surroundings. They scurry around food manufacturing and processors of food facilities and eat food, deposit hairs and excrement, and multiply exponentially. But, we know that we are safe from contamination because we have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) watching our food supply and checking for any problems. (Read, “Not Really"!). So it might surprise you to learn that the FDA has set “threshold limits” of mouse hair, excrement, insect parts, mold, maggots, and general filth in most foods that we consume. The FDA maintains that it is economically practical to accept that manufacturers cannot maintain a totally clean food supply. They have even prepared a booklet to define those limits of contamination, which they refer to as “an aesthetic problem”. As an example, here is the entry for cornmeal:
Cornmeal
Insects
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 1 or more whole insects (or equivalent) per 50 grams
Insect filth
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 25 or more insect fragments per 25 grams
Rodent filth
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 25 grams
OR
Average of 1 or more rodent excreta fragment per 50 grams
DEFECT SOURCE: Insects and insect fragments – pre-harvest and/or post harvest and/or processing insect infestation, Rodent hair and excreta fragments - post harvest and/or processing contamination with animal hair or excreta
SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic
And, if you see all kinds of red flags with this reasoning, join the club. The first concern is in the manufacturer’s plant. How often, and what amount of cornmeal do they test? What is their sample size or AQL? (Acceptance Quality Level). And, do they really test all of their food? Next, how often does the FDA monitor the filth in food? I do not remember any recall of food with maggots, insect parts, or rat excrement unless something has caused illness or death. Perhaps we have to accept some level of “aesthetic” contamination as inevitable, but it is not a comforting thought. You can check the acceptable filth levels of your favorite food in the FDA booklet here. Scroll down in the booklet for the glossary and food listed alphabetically. I wonder if there is an acceptable level of glass. (The image is from our friends at WPClipart).
Cornmeal
Insects
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 1 or more whole insects (or equivalent) per 50 grams
Insect filth
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 25 or more insect fragments per 25 grams
Rodent filth
(AOAC 981.19)
Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 25 grams
OR
Average of 1 or more rodent excreta fragment per 50 grams
DEFECT SOURCE: Insects and insect fragments – pre-harvest and/or post harvest and/or processing insect infestation, Rodent hair and excreta fragments - post harvest and/or processing contamination with animal hair or excreta
SIGNIFICANCE: Aesthetic
And, if you see all kinds of red flags with this reasoning, join the club. The first concern is in the manufacturer’s plant. How often, and what amount of cornmeal do they test? What is their sample size or AQL? (Acceptance Quality Level). And, do they really test all of their food? Next, how often does the FDA monitor the filth in food? I do not remember any recall of food with maggots, insect parts, or rat excrement unless something has caused illness or death. Perhaps we have to accept some level of “aesthetic” contamination as inevitable, but it is not a comforting thought. You can check the acceptable filth levels of your favorite food in the FDA booklet here. Scroll down in the booklet for the glossary and food listed alphabetically. I wonder if there is an acceptable level of glass. (The image is from our friends at WPClipart).
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