Bugs in noodles and grains

[TheBringer]

So if you find bugs in your noodles and/or grains do you take the bugs out and still eat the food? Or do you compost it or throw it out? My dad cooked some japanese noodles and I saw him taking bugs out of it. The noodles were still edible but I was disgusted and I didn't want to tell him. He doesn't think of bugs in the same way as animals. He cooked the veggies seperately so I ate those. I ate the noodles that I didn't think had any bugs in them still. Then I saw two larva! I felt really bad.

[HappyVegan]

I would be horrified. Ever since I was a kid I've had an irrational fear of bugs. I remember once when I was about 14 I looked down at my shirt and there was a cricket on it. I almost hyperventilated and my step-dad had to come and get it off for me because I was frozen and couldn't move. There is no way I could eat anything knowing that bugs had to be picked out of it first. I freak out if I take a drink of water then notice that there is a bug in it lol.

[Risker]

In the bin without question

[Tigerlily]

In the bin without question

I agree.

Not even from a vegan prespective...just from a creeped out disgusted prespective.

[Seaside]

You can keep bugs out of opened food packages by storing them with a bay leaf or two, in a rigid container. This works for all kinds of dry goods, and it won't leave a flavor or a scent if you put them in flour. You can also freeze things that regularly hatch larvae, to keep the eggs from hatching. I do this with wild bird seed, and the seed still sprouts in the rain, so I know the freezing doesn't do too much damage to the nutrients. You don't have to keep them in the freezer permanently. Just freeze them for a couple of days.

As far as being grossed out by bugs, I'm not. I actually talk to them (they don't talk back, though. ) I'm not particularly afraid of germs, either, though I don't talk to them. After all, the world is made of dirt, and there are all kinds of tiny unseens living in our eyelashes, etc. But I don't like the idea of accidentally eating bugs from an emotional and moral viewpoint. I don't particularly like the idea of freezing the eggs before they hatch either, but I really don't like having to deal with the critters after they are wiggling around. Its just one of those aspects of living with compassion that's not as easy as others to be vigilant about.

[TheBringer]

Thanks for the bay leaf idea. I'll tell him that again. I'll also warn him never to feed me anything he knows was a home for something before he cooked or prepared it for me. My family and friends need constant reminding of what I will and will not eat.

[Cherry]

I talk to 'bugs' too seaside, and am interested in insect life etc... but picking things out of the food and then eating it?

It isn't hygienic. As well as larvae and eggs, there'll be faeces, bits of dead ones and bacteria living off those as well. I don't think anyone should eat that! Maybe your Dad would understand that more than the vegan perspective?

I once ate some broccoli that my Dad had prepared, and then noticed some funny silky stuff all over it, and when I looked closely there were loads of little caterpillars!! It was horrible! Poor things had been lightly boiled. My Dad just picked off the ones he could see and carried on eating

[TheBringer]

Blagh. Thats so sad. You're right he will understand that. He keeps leftovers in the fridge forever too. I'll have to make sure he throws things out when they get old.

[karmadust]

I agree with cherry - there is going to be a lot more than just the bugs in your food. We had a problem with moths for a LONG time (they are really really hard to get rid of once you have them, especially humanely). We had to throw out absolutely every piece of food in the pantry that was not completely sealed in its packaging because the moths slip in through the cracks and lay eggs in everything. The larvae appears like little worms, so hopefully that's not what you're dealing with, too.

We now store everything we buy in tupperware or big ziplock bags. It's something I'd recommend.