Is it safe?

[ellaminnowpea]

Is it safe to eat fruits and veggies that have insects in with the packaging, between leaves, or even inside the fruit? I assume theres more insects in the food I'm buying since it's organic produce (I'm mostly raw).

But, it really freaks me out and I have a hard time eating it if I think there might be any insects in there. I understand they're probably not going to kill me (and tons of people eat them regularly in other countries)... but argghhh. Is this a purely psychological aversion? I don't want to keep throwing out produce, I'm a poor college student!

[mariana]

I think it's probably safe, but you should wash it really thoroughly (that also might put your mind at ease a bit more, too). My dad has a big garden and the veggies he grows frequently have insects on them, especially after a big rain. Often they're alive, so we just put them back outside, but sometimes they're already dead, so we just wash off the leaves really thoroughly. If it seems like there are tons of insects, that seems like it might be bad produce, but if it's just a couple, you should be fine. I understand the aversion, though--I get grossed out too! I just make sure I rinse it off really thoroughly and if fruit has a hole in it that looks like it might be caused by a bug I immediately cut out that portion or eat around it. Nothing's as bad as what my best friend once told me about her cousin, though--he would get mangos out of his backyard in Jamaica and then eat them in the dark...so he couldn't see all the bugs he was eating! Sorry if I grossed you out too much by that story...anyway, good luck figuring out what to do and happy eating!

[tofuandpotatoes]

hmm

i wouldn't eat it.
i had some saltine crackers today, and sticking out of the side of one was a small beetle. of course, i spit out the cracker and threw the box away.

[mariana]

hmm

i wouldn't eat it.
i had some saltine crackers today, and sticking out of the side of one was a small beetle. of course, i spit out the cracker and threw the box away.

Eww...that reminds me of one time when I was younger...I was eating an Oreo and twisted it open (luckily) and inside there were 8 or 9 little worms wriggling around in the icing! Yuck! Suffice to say, I threw it away immediately.
I feel differently about bugs in my fruit and veggies, though. I guess because they can easily be washed off and I find them much more often in my veggies...

[Jippia]

Eww.. That sounds awful. Organic veggie have more insects between their leaves and I just wash them away.

[wildcatstrike]

Hmm.. i can see how that might put you off, seeing insects in the packaging. Never really happens to me but i'm sure i'd just eat the food anyway! I mean, the food's been grown in the earth on on trees or wherever with insects all around them anyway.

If i had an apple with a worm in it though or something like that i might just compost it

[ichyBan]

meh everything you ever will eat has had a bug crawl on it. wash it off and chow down

[sandra]

That's assuming the insect is already dead, poor thing............if not I tend to leave them outside on some leafy plant then I wash the fruit/veg safely!