Rice and flour
are prone to insects during storage
Especially in the summer when the weather is hot and the air is humid
Where do these insects come from? Why does the sealed save of
still appear?
Can they spread diseases?
Let’s take a look at
1
Where did the worm in the rice noodles
come from?
The insects in rice noodles do not appear out of thin air, but are larvae hatched from insect eggs. Its sources are mainly divided into the following two aspects:
1. Problems with the source
Grains usually have insect eggs when they grow, and the processing process of rice noodles is also relatively simple, mainly to retain nutrients.
Adult insects will be killed during processing, but the remaining nutritional parts still contain eggs, which will hatch into larvae under suitable conditions.
2. Problems with storage environment and transportation
There will be insect sources during this process, and they will multiply rapidly when the temperature and humidity reach the right conditions.
2
What is the worm in the rice noodles?
rice insect is also called rice elephant . The name rice elephant comes from its slender trunk, which is only 3 to 4 millimeters long but its trunk is 1 millimeter long.
Castaneta castaneum is a bug that often appears in flour. They are larger than rice bugs, 4.5~6 mm long, reddish-brown in color, and are usually divided into two types: red castaneum castaneum and hybrid castaneum castaneum.
3
Will rice bugs lay eggs in rice noodles?
Insects in rice noodles will lay eggs in rice noodles. Mature rice elephants will use sharp tools in their mouths to dig brown rice into deep holes and lay eggs inside.
The development and growth of insect eggs mainly rely on grains. They bite through the grains step by step, and finally hollow out the rice grains, and discharge insect feces outside the rice grains.
However, rice weevils themselves do not have viruses and do not transmit diseases. Rice weevils will not cause bites or parasitism to us. As long as the rice weevils are washed off, they are safe to eat.
Tribolium castaneum in flour can also lay eggs and will reproduce rapidly when the temperature is high. Each female can lay 1,000 eggs, but it does not have the ability to transmit diseases.
4
Can we still eat rice noodles with worms?
Insect-infested rice and noodles are edible.
The surface color of rice grains bitten by rice elephants becomes darker and the thickness becomes thinner. After washing, they will float on the water surface. Discard the broken rice grains before eating.
Insect-infested rice noodles will not pose a safety hazard if appropriate measures are taken.
1. Place it in a ventilated place to dry, and the insects will slowly crawl out.
2. The bugs that have not crawled out can be sieved out through a sieve. The noodles obtained through the sieve contain almost no bugs and can be eaten safely if stored properly.
3. The rice obtained through the sieve can be washed with clean water, and the empty shells floating on the water can be discarded before eating. However, if the rice noodles become moldy, they should not be eaten anymore.
5
How to prevent rice noodles from getting worms?
leaf prevention method: Pick fresh and clean poplar leaves or Sophora japonica leaves, wash and dry them, dry them and cover them on the rice grains, keeping the thickness about 3 cm, to prevent rice weevil.
Gauze insect control method: The traditional method of insect control is to put Sichuan peppercorns or peppercorns in gauze, wrap them tightly, and put them in a rice bag. Studies have shown that 15 to 25 peppercorns and peppercorns are enough to repel rice weevils in 1 liter of rice.
Fumigation method: is a method of killing pests with the smell of fumigant in a closed place. Garlic is generally used as a fumigant. Research shows that 10 to 12 cloves of garlic can be killed in 3 days if put into rice. Almost all rice elephants in 1 liter of rice.
Oxygen isolation method: You can use the method of isolating oxygen to seal and preserve the rice noodles, put them into bags, and then vacuum to prevent pests.
Low temperature method: Pack the rice noodles into clean plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator. Pests cannot continue to grow and reproduce unless they reach the appropriate temperature.
In summary
Insect-infested rice noodles
can also be eaten as long as appropriate measures are taken to deal with them
Source: Popular Science China
