I wouldn’t have been so alarmed if he’d said “every man”. I mean that’s bad enough. But “everybody” implies a whole other level.
The problem is, as noted above, you can’t make carbohydrates into protein without a source of nitrogen in an available form. Which usually isn’t atmospheric nitrogen. The vast majority bugs don’t have the chemical machinery available. Indeed the machinery available to those that do comes in the form of symbiotic bacteria.
Also they didn’t exclude people who are dead, or have not yet been born.
Psocids… Commonly found in flour in the UK.
Why have I got psocids?
They are NOT caused by poor hygiene – psocids can be found in the cleanest of cupboards and cleanest of kitchens. They prefer to live in dark, warm, humid places – such as the folds of packaging in food cupboards. They are attracted to damp plaster so can be found in brand new homes too. They dislike light or disturbance.
They live for about 6 months during which time the female may lay up to 100 eggs. They don’t spread disease, bite or damage property. Psocid numbers can rapidly increase in number in summer and early autumn when conditions are warmer.
Psocids feed on a wide variety of food products – including flour – and also the microscopic moulds that develop in humid conditions.
I have some ancient Tupperware containers for flour so, once opened, it is firmly sealed.
I buy bulk rice and flour. They are stored in large, fully-sealed (screw-top lids with rubber gaskets) containers.
“Weevils” (small bugs of some kind, the larval stage of some sort of beetle) will still happen, given enough time, in both flour and rice. The eggs are already there. I don’t get too worried about it; if the infestation is such that it’s noticeable, I just toss out the goods, sterilize the containers, and repurchase. In the winter I will put the containers on the porch for a day or two in sub-zero weather; I also keep smaller bags of “special” (the less-commonly-used) flours in the freezer. Cold definitely seems to be the answer to keeping things visible-bug-free.
There are bugs and then there are features.
Unfortunately that’s not a feature of mass food processing, that’s a feature of food. If you eat local/homegrown/organic/boutique food you will undoubtedly have more poo and bugs in your food.
The more ecological, the less poison. Alas, also the more weevils!
(Not doing that old “lesser of two weevils” joke, mind!)
Free protein I guess.
In the supermarket industry, they used to be called “walking protein”. And we would most usually run across it in packaging that had been damaged in some way. Psocids (which are actually common to many homes), weevils, and even maggots aren’t uncommon. Needless to say, if found in the store, the store does not sell the product.
I have found psocids in empty bowls in the cupboard, especially in plastics, which are more likely to retain traces of food than glass, ceramic, or metal containers.
If you have weevils in your food, you have serious problems.
And these inspectors are good men. But they must remain constantly vigilant, or the bugs will win.
All that is necessary for the triumph of weevils is for good men to do nothing.
Thanks for all the responses. I don’t feel much safer now.
I originally intended to ask this on Reddit, but found out that there’s a whole “cult of the weevil” on that platform. Which is cute and all, but makes it difficult to talk seriously about the bugs.
Seriously though, much is done to prevent bugs in the food, starting with the farmer, on to the companies they sell to, on to the supermarkets who sell it to you. But keeping it totally bug free is impossible, something USDA inspectors acknowledge with their standards. However, their standards are very, very high. Unless you are allergic to microscopic bug bits, your food is pretty safe. Actually, it’s much safer, on average, due to those inspectors and standards.
Once you purchase the goods, such as wheat flour, sugar, or rice, it becomes your responsibility to keep it bug free. There are plenty of tools and a lot of online advice that help you do just that. Keeping your kitchen cupboards, and airtight containers free of bugs just requires some smarts and effort. It’s not magic.