What Levels of Mold, "Insect Filth" and "Mammalian Excreta Filth" in Food Are Acceptable to the FDA?

A brave look at the FDA’s Food Defect Levels Handbook. :)

Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash

Please take a look at the FDA’s Food Defect Levels Handbook, the FDA handbook that talks about acceptable levels of “filth” in our food, like “insect filth” or “mammalian excreta filth.”

(Importantly, the bee in the photo is innocent, I just didn’t want to accompany this story with an image of something disappointing, the FDA handbook is disappointing enough! :)

You can read the whole thing on the FDA website, here are some excerpts showing what level of “filth” in food is acceptable to the FDA:

My reaction to all this is that freaking out doesn’t help a whole lot—but boosting our immune systems—as well as washing and cooking our food well—may.

And you know what, as a kid, I spent my summers in the country, eating fresh berries from the bushes and God knows what from the ground. I had no problem with innocent pretty bugs crawling on my raspberries, etc.

The times have changed, alas, and people’s immune systems need a lot more focused love today than they did when I was a kid. And in any case, who wants any amount of “mammalian excreta filth” in their food? Maybe the FDA bosses do but…

This particular peasant doesn’t freak out because there is no point in freaking out—but I do try to get my food as “unprocessed” as possible, and wash it well.

There is also this:

Bon appetit! And if you want a deeper dive into the subject contamination, I wrote a story about it last year.

PS An update: I was told by a kind readier that the insect in the photo is not a bee but a wasp. I stand corrected, I cannot tell the difference between a bee and a wasp just from the face. But I can tell a male fruit fly from a female fruit fly, and I mean it, I can do that!

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