I had heard a podcast from Stuffyoushouldknow.com about "stuff" in food.
It's amazing what the FDA considers "acceptable allowances" for differnt things to sneak by and still be OK to have in your food products.
Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110.110 allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard. These "Food Defect Action Levels" are set on this premise--that they pose no inherent hazard to health.
Here's a sampling of some of the allowable "defect levels"
Ground Allspice - Average of 30 or more insect fragments per 10 grams
Canned Asparagus - 10% by count of all spears are infested with 6 or more attached beetle eggs or sacs.
Ground Cinnamon - average of 11 rodent hairs per 50 grams
Chocolate - 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams
Hops - average 2500 aphids per 10 grams
Macaroni and Noodle Products - 225 insect fragments per 225 grams
Tomato Paste - 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more Maggot per 100 grams
These are the limits that must be reached BEFORE a product receives any corrective treatment... yikes.
Good thing it's biggest loser time at BOTL... I won't be eating anything for a month.
If you want the entire list: FDA Allowable Defect Handbook
Also, if you use ITunes, check out "stuff you should know" these guys are funny and the topics are very interesting.
It's amazing what the FDA considers "acceptable allowances" for differnt things to sneak by and still be OK to have in your food products.
Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110.110 allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard. These "Food Defect Action Levels" are set on this premise--that they pose no inherent hazard to health.
Here's a sampling of some of the allowable "defect levels"
Ground Allspice - Average of 30 or more insect fragments per 10 grams
Canned Asparagus - 10% by count of all spears are infested with 6 or more attached beetle eggs or sacs.
Ground Cinnamon - average of 11 rodent hairs per 50 grams
Chocolate - 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams
Hops - average 2500 aphids per 10 grams
Macaroni and Noodle Products - 225 insect fragments per 225 grams
Tomato Paste - 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more Maggot per 100 grams
These are the limits that must be reached BEFORE a product receives any corrective treatment... yikes.
Good thing it's biggest loser time at BOTL... I won't be eating anything for a month.
If you want the entire list: FDA Allowable Defect Handbook
Also, if you use ITunes, check out "stuff you should know" these guys are funny and the topics are very interesting.
