The Food standards agency and local authority food safety teams get a large amount of complaints each week about issues with food products. Whilst some of these do require them to investigate further, the majority are due to issues which they either have no control over or are just a natural part of food production and whilst they can be unpleasant, are not a danger to public health.
They have produced a list of common complaints which we will look at below:
Small insects and grubs can be found in tinned vegetables, usually, but not always containing sweetcorn or tomatoes. These are moth larvae, which live inside these vegetables and there is no way to detect and remove these before they reach you.
Wasps and fruit flies can also get caught up in the canning process as it is not unusual to find them around large quantities of fruit.
All of these will have been killed and sterilised by the canning process so they are not dangerous although the sight of them may put the squeamish off eating the rest of the tin.
The FSA say that you should contact the manufacturer if this worries you, there is no public health risk so they do not need to be informed. They also say that this may become more common as pesticide use decreases.
If the item is in fact glass then you should contact your local Environmental Health or Food Safety Team. However in canned fish it is more likely the substance is struvite.
During the canning process some elements, such as magnesium ammonium phosphate can form hard crystals which are often mistaken for glass. This is called struvite and is especially common on tinned salmon.
They are not harmful and will dissolve in your stomach if you accidentally eat one.
You can test at home to see if it is struvite or glass by placing it in vinegar and gently heating it for around 15 minutes. Struvite will start to dissolve after this time glass will not.
The FSA recommend you test to see if the item is glass or struvite. If it is struvite then there is no risk to health, it is a natural process and the fish is safe to eat. If the item is glass then you should contact your local Environment Health or Food Safety Team.
If the tin is damaged or dented then mould can grow due to reaction with air of the can itself. If this is the case you should contact the store you brought it from. If however the can is in perfect condition and contains mould this could indicate an issue at the production site. If this is the case you should contact your local Environmental health or Food Safety Team.
These are Codworm and can be found in white fish such as cod and haddock. They are a small brownish yellow worm usually found in the flesh. They are killed by cooking and all evidence shows they are harmless to humans.
They usually live in the parts of the fish that are cut away so it is unusual to find one.
As they are not a risk to public health you should raise the issue with whoever sold you the fish.
When manufacturers try to remove all bones from processed fish, it is possible for some to slip through their checks due to the way these products are made. Bones from some parts of fish have also been mistaken for plastic, being broad, flat and flexible.
Manufacturers are required by law to take “all reasonable steps” to remove fish bones and there process for this is inspected during production site visits by Local authorities.
If you find fish bones you should contact the supplier or manufacturer to discuss the issue. Local authorities do not consider if a public health risk.
Luminous bacteria can sometimes be found on seafood such as Crab, Shrimps, and Prawns. This could be a sign that the fish was held at a temperature high enough for bacteria to grow. The glowing is a reaction between the bacteria and air, very similar to how firefly’s glow. It does not necessarily mean the food is unsafe. There are no reports of illness from luminous marine bacteria growing on seafood, however you should also ensure the fish is fresh and not spoiled in other ways.
If you find fish bones you should contact the supplier or manufacturer to discuss the issue. Local authorities do not consider if a public health risk.
Meat and chicken products such as chicken nuggets etc. may contain small bones, skin or blood vessels. Whilst unpleasant this is not a public health issue as they are usually part of the animal, It is not economically viable for food producers to make use of prohibited parts of food animals or non-food species as food species are cheaper and more readily available.
These can however sometimes cause injuries like chipped teeth. You should contact the store where you brought them or the manufacturer if you have any issues.
During the harvesting process small stones can be collected too. If these stones are a similar size and weight as peas they can make it through the sorting process and into cans. Again producers are required to take “all reasonable precautions” to stop this, and as long as they do so a small amount making it through is not a public health risk. If you injure yourself due to this you should contact the manufacturer.
Fruit and vegetables can often have mud, soil and stones stuck to them, especially if they are purchased loose. This is perfectly normal as the vast majority grow in the ground. The Food Standards Agency recommend you wash any fruit and vegetables before eating them.
Lettuce and other salad vegetables will attract greenfly and this will become more common as pesticide use is reduced. They are not considered a public health issue and it is recommended that you wash all fruit and vegetables well before eating them.
Grapefruit contains naringin which is what gives it its bitter taste. Sometimes a grapefruit will contain an excess of naringin which will crystallise during the canning process. This causes the white spots and can make the juice in the tin cloudy.
This is safe to eat though it may taste more bitter than normal.
Dry foods like sugar, flour and semolina may attract small insects such as booklice, weevils and beetles if they are kept for too long. These insects do not typically carry disease however the do breed very fast in warm humid conditions and you can quickly end up with a cupboard full.
They are not considered a public health risk and you should deal with them by throwing away all infested products and thoroughly cleaning the area involved.
If stored at a high temperature and allowed to cool chocolate can get a pale coloured bloom. This is due to fat separating as the temperature rises. It is not harmful but does affect the taste of the product. You should raise the issue with the store where you purchased the item.
If there is glass in your sweets you should contact your local Environmental Health or food safety team. However large sugar crystals which can sometimes for are often mistaken for glass. If these crystals dissolve in warm water then they are sugar and the product if fine to eat, although you may find taste has been adversely affected. If they don’t dissolve then you should report them.
There have been instances where spiders have been carried into the country from the tropics in bananas. It is usually a Huntsman or Giant Crab Spider (See here for how to identify these spiders). They are large and brown crab-like spiders with flat bodies. They are common in tropical areas however most of Europe is too cold for them to survive. Are large one can have an extremely painful bite but other then that they are not considered a public health risk. If you are bitten you should consult a doctor.
Often reports of lumps or rodent dropping in pilau rice are actually the cardamom pods which are often used to flavour the rice. These pods can either be eaten or removed so some brands leave them in to be eaten.
Wasps and fruit flies can get caught up in the canning process as it is not unusual to find them around large quantities of fruit. Although producers do all they can to prevent it, unfortunately some will always slip through into the product. They do not carry diseases so there is not a major health risk. It is recommended that you return the product to the supplier if this issue affect you.
If there is loose glass in wine then you should contact your local Environmental Health or food safety team. However often Tartrate crystals are mistake for glass.
Tartrate crystals can form when wine is chilled, the tartaric acid in the grapes can mix with other ingredients to form Potassium Bitartrate crystals which solidify in the wine. They are completely harmless and should not even affect the taste of the wine.
Some white wines are put through a cold stabilisation process to stop them forming however this is not universal.
There is no public health risk from tartrate crystals and they can be safely strained out of the wine.
