Bugs on Product

[tammy/MN]

i just got home from doing groceries & while i was washing a fresh head of cauliflower, i noticed small bugs, dead, on the head. it that normal? is it sanitary to eat?

i know i was grossed out & mad--i threw it away. this happened one other time w/ a head of broccoli that i had gotten from the farmers' market & i have never bought broccoli or cauliflower again from them.

am i being too picky?

tammy/MN

[beejayw1]

Well, I read your post, expecting to read about worms on a candy bar (happened to me) or weevilly crackers. But your experience is a little different.

Produce is grown outside. Bugs live outside. Bugs like to try to eat produce. Pesticides are formulated to kill bugs; unfortunately, they get on produce, too, and I'd rather have to wash the bugs off. (Depending on the bugs, of course...don't want to deal with tarantulas or scorpions...:eek: )

So, you're being a little too picky IMO, but it's understandable. Checking the heads to make sure there aren't bugs on them before you buy them is OK, however.

[tammy/MN]

i know this might sound anal, eventhough the bugs were like freeze-dried, they were like little spiders on every little flowerette (sp). i washed them, sprayed them w/ the veggie washer, & they still wouldn't come off, unless i went thru every piece.

guess i overreacted.:(

[beejayw1]

:eek:

they were like little spiders on every little flowerette (sp). i washed them, sprayed them w/ the veggie washer, & they still wouldn't come off, unless i went thru every piece.

guess i overreacted.

Blecch! Sounds like a major infestation! In that case I'd have done the same! Though I might fish the thing out of the trash and march right back to the place I bought them from and ask for another - preferably without bugs! :mad:

[BlueMoose]

The time a big black spider crawled out of my broccoli I freaked! I still haven't gotten over that. Good thing I had a garbage disposal :eek:

[Jewel]

In my opinion, if you can wash the little guy off and then 'veggie wash' the item, it's probably OK...but if you wash and spray and he's STILL latched on, then he obviously wants that cauliflower more than you do...I say let him have it! :p

[Gail]

Bugs?

mmmm.... protein....

[Holly in KC]

Bugs ARE a fairly common problem with cauliflower, but it sounds like the infestation you had was a bit much.

When my mom writes recipes down for me that contain cauliflower, she always include a step to soak the head in salted ice water "to get the bugs out". I always thought it was a little strange (but very mom-like)....

Imagine my surprise when I read the preparation instructions in "The New Basics" cookbook for cauliflower: Quote: "To rid the cauliflower of unwanged bugs, soak it in cold salted water at least 10 minutes before cooking or serving raw".

Aren't moms great!

Anyway... if the salted ice water doesn't do the trick, I'd do the same thing you did... toss it & try again.

[guavagirl]

I probably would have taken the cauliflower back for a refund, unless it was a hassle. An alternative: call the grocer to complain -- they might even offer to refund your money the next time you are in the store without requiring the return of the actual product (besides, what would they do with it? use it for a new employee prank?).

I have had the rather unpleasant experience (twice!) of finding larvae of some sort in bags of frozen broccoli/cauliflower. The manufacturer was apologetic, but somehow, a coupon for 3 bags of veggies doesn't wash away the gross-out memory :eek:

I don't faint at blood, I clean dirty toilets, etc., but somehow those little bugs are the things that send me over the edge!

[makedah]

You don't need to take the cauliflower back to get a refund. Just call them up and tell them the situation. Speak directly to the produce manager, too. They would be glad to know to take a look at their cauliflower. The customer service desk will no doubt tell you to come on down for a refund or a replacement item.

I take things back to stores without apology if a product is old or even just really yucky. I work at a grocery store and let me tell you, grocery stores have very liberal return policies. I guess it is their way of ensuring customer loyalty. Also, apparently, the vast majority of refunds are legit -- no need to hassle everybody for the sake of the 5% who are trying to rip off the store for a $.79 can of corn.

[MKSquared]

Yuk, bugs ....

A few months ago, I was eating my breakfast, when I looked down at my corn flakes and saw a bug body floating in the milk! Before I used the milk again, I poured a little more out -- and out came the bug's legs! EWW!

I promptly threw the bottle away, but saved the top with the code on it. I called the dairy producer (obviously not the grocer, in this case) and they sent me a few gift certificates for free milk. (They also sent me a form letter, saying "We inspected your returned product and have concluded the foreign object is a beetle." Strange, since they never SAW the milk!)

Since that's happened, I've switched exclusively to soy milk.

Anyone need some milk coupons? ;)

[vbak]

Iwould have taken the produce back immediately and I would have called the milk producer right now. Beetles in the milk?? Oh, gawd! I used to grow leaf lettuce and spinach , but I stopped when the ear wigs invaded my neighborhood. I would pick the veggies , bring them in and those insects were running around my sink!!!:eek: :eek: They haven't been too bad this summer; only a few invaded the house, which is surprising considering the extreme heat. Maybe they died of heat stroke:D . Vicky I hope this goes through, It is the 2nd time I am posting this. I get a message that says I am not registered, even though I did register. So, if it shows up twice... Vicky

[emilycat]

Ewwww!
Funny story -- several years ago, my mom had steamed some broccoli for dinner -- my sister and I ate it, not thinking that we needed to scrutinize it.
After we'd finished almost all of it, I noticed a bug-looking creature in the flowerets -- then I noticed that tons of them seemed to be imbedded so deeply in the flowers that you'd have to pull them apart to see them. Upon further inspection, we realized Jennifer's were the same. Now we always tease my mom and ask her if she's feeding us veggies with bugs in them. :D
Needless to say, I now fully inspect all of my broccoli.

[Luiza]

This is the funniest thread... and it reminds me of the old joke:
"What's worse than a worm in your apple? Half a worm in your apple!"

Yes, it happened to me quite a few times, and I got no sympathy. Where I originally come from, the idea is that humans should not eat stuff that even the bugs won't touch. Given the pesticide issues, I'm not sure they're wrong. Unfortunately, I haven't acquired a taste for worms yet :p

[Laura B]

This is too funny! I would probably have freaked and thrown the cauliflower away, too. I would definitely tell the grocery store and see if they will give you a coupon or replacement item, etc.

When my husband was in China, he was eating a brocolli dish at a restaurant. About halfway through eating it, he noticed a little green worm on his plate. He started looking carefully, and found about a dozen worms! He figures he must have eaten about the same amount of worms before he found them. He said he just checked every bite after that and flicked the bugs off! Gross!

[funnybone]

A few months back I bought some white sandwich bread for the kids. It was abut 3 days before the "expiry date" when I finally opened and noticed a bit of mold. I called the manufacturer just to let them know, as I have been buying that bread for years and have never seen mold on it - not even on it's "last day". Well, I forgot about the complaint, when I got a $2.50 check in the mail (more than I paid) and about 6 coupons for bread. I still continue to buy their bread.

[Jewel]

Not exactly bugs but...about a month ago I was in one of our local grocery stores that has the most FABULOUS produce departments. Anything weird or usually not found easily, you can find there most of the time. I needed garlic, so trotted on down to the monster garlic bin, picked out 6 bulbs because I was going to roast garlic, but also peel and store in olive oil in the fridge. (I admit I didn't look or feel really closely, I was in a hurry!) They all looked about the same anyway.

When I got home and started peeling I noticed they were all VERY old...half the cloves were hard and nearly transparent brown on each bulb. When I called the store to complain and suggest that they remove the garlic from that bin and replace it, I was told that they couldn't do that! Produce Man told me that as long as it's not moldy, they sell it...I haven't bought garlic there since, and I check cloves closely now wherever I buy! I even take as much 'papery skin' off each bulb as I can before I put the bulb in my cart! :rolleyes: