A 2-year nationwide survey was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration to provide current information about filth, decomposition, and microbiological contamination of domestic and imported fresh and frozen shrimp. Whole or equivalent filth insects, mostly ants, were found in 14.4% of the samples. Of countries contributing at least 10 samples for filth analysis, India had the highest percentage positive for filth insects (45.5%); the United States had the lowest (6.3%). Filth insect fragments were present in 5.4% of the samples. Incidental insects were present in 6.3% of the samples, with flies the most commonly found. Of countries contributing at least 10 samples for filth analysis, India had the highest percentage positive for incidental insects (27.3%); Ecuador had the lowest (2.3%). Unidentified insect fragments were found in 33.3% of the samples; cockroach excreta pellets were present in 2.1%, rat or mouse hairs in 5.7%, and other striated animal hairs in 15.3%. Of countries contributing at least 10 samples for filth analysis, the Philippines had the highest percentages positive (30.0 and 50.0%) for rat or mouse hairs and other striated hairs, respectively; Malaysia was close behind with 23.1 and 46.2%. Samples from the United States had the lowest percentage positive for rat or mouse hairs (0.9%) and other striated hairs (7.2%). Listeria spp. were found in 6.8% of the samples; Salmonella spp. were found in 8.1%. Some level of decomposition was observed in 15.4% of the samples tested organoleptically.
Poisonings caused by ingestion of toxic, wild-picked morel mushrooms have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Problems occur when collectors of wild mushrooms inadvertently include toxic look-alike species with the edible wild species offered for sale. A 2-year survey conducted by the FDA showed 21% of the morel and 15% of the wild mixed mushrooms were contaminated with toxic look-alike species. These contaminants contain toxins that produce symptoms ranging from dizziness and gastrointestinal distress to liver and heart damage. Present regulatory controls include FDA Import Alerts for morels contaminated with Gyromitra esculenta and Verpa bohemica, a Michigan state regulation requiring licensing of harvesters of wild mushrooms, and an Illinois state regulation prohibiting the sale of wild-picked mushrooms through retail outlets. American consumers, unable to distinguish between edible and toxic look-alike wild mushrooms, may face illness and possibly death from products purchased on the normally well-regulated U.S. consumer market.
A 1-year national retail market survey was made to determine the sanitary quality of canned collard, creecy (land cress), kale, mustard, and turnip greens. The official methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists were used to count light filth such as aphids, thrips, mites, moth larvae, and beetle larvae. Analysis of 997 samples of canned greens weighing 100 g showed filth levels lowest for kale and highest for mustard greens. Maximum counts for defects in each canned green were 71 aphids, thrips, and mites and 7 moth and beetle larvae for canned collard greens; 309 aphids, thrips, and mites and 10 moth and beetle larvae for canned creecy greens; 31 aphids, thrips, and mites and 0 moth and beetle larvae for canned kale greens; 547 aphids, thrips, and mites and 12 moth and beetle larvae for canned mustard greens; and 530 aphids, thrips, and mites and 8 moth and beetle larvae for canned turnip greens. Percent of samples containing each defect ranged as follows: aphids, thrips and mites, 25.0% for canned kale greens to 77.9% for canned mustard greens; moth and beetle larvae, 0% for canned kale greens to 38.5% for canned creecy greens.
SUMMARY– Factory studies were conducted to determine the incidence of various types of insect contaminants in inshell and shelled pecans and their significance as related to processing methods. Pecans may become infested in the field with primary and/or secondary insect pests and in the shelling plant by storage insects. Analytical results showed raw stock sorting by air separation to be ineffective for removing insect‐infested inshell nuts. Insects and their fragments are present in cracked infested nuts and are largely removed by subsequent air separation procedures. During processing, Curculio caryae larvae are concentrated in the midget and small pecan pieces. Hand sorting under UV light was shown to be superior to other procedures for removal of curculio larvae from the finished product. Finished shelled pecan products contained relatively few insect fragments.
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