Pests in the package
Take a look at the packages in your kitchen cabinets or pantry. You’ll probably see flour, cereals, rice, pasta, baking mix, crackers, and maybe some nuts and popcorn. Bugs love to get into dried foods like these. If you see tiny beetles, moths, or worms on your counter, you may find they are also in your food.
This weevil was found in a package of rice. It is covered in rice dust.
Packages and containers don’t have to be open for bugs to get in. Many bugs can chew through packaging, and arrive in your kitchen already inside the package. Beetles, moths, and mites lay their eggs where there will be a good food source for larvae when they hatch. They often do this while food is stored in warehouses or on its way to the store.
Canned bacteria
Clostridia are bacteria that thrive without oxygen. Cans of food can be infected by Clostridia if their contents aren’t properly processed. The Clostridia produce a gas that makes cans swell up. Some Clostridia can also cause botulism, a very serious kind of food poisoning.
