topic Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem in Kitchen

King Arthur response to my bug problem

SharkE — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 21:11:12 GMT

Thanks for contacting us here at King Arthur Baking Company.

This can be a tricky one! Bugs can move into flour at many points in its journey from mill to home kitchen. We do takes steps to ensure that no bugs hitch a ride in the mill, but once it is in transit and stored by various warehouses/grocery stores, they can move in.

To combat the bug issues, there are two main angles of attack. The first is to transfer every flour and dry grain you have (rice, breakfast cereal, rolled oats, etc.) to airtight containers with rubber seals. Tight rubber seals are the only way to keep bugs from moving between dry goods. The other is to freeze every grain and dry good that comes into your kitchen for at least 48 hours. This will kill any potential bugs/eggs that may be hitching a ride in on your dry goods.

Please let us know if we can answer any additional questions or assist you further.

Kind regards,

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

yamma024 — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 21:39:40 GMT

Even if you freeze for 48 hours to kill the bugs that hitched a ride, they are still in the flour. They are dead but still there. Hmm

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Estellee — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 21:52:57 GMT

I don't think I will buy flour ever again, lol

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Trailrun23 — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 22:06:48 GMT

Sounds like an ad for Lock & Lock! I do keep everything like rice, flour, cereal, etc. in them, so no bug worries. Wish they made some L&L big enough for my 45lb bag of.birdseed.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

yamma024 — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 23:04:15 GMT

@Trailrun23 LocknLock does have an 88 cup XXL container with double handles. K51998 $34.40

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

scruffsmom — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:51:58 GMT

Put some bay leaves in your flour.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Sooner — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:54:33 GMT

Pesticides or bugs? What's for dinner!

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

MJDinVegas — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 04:00:34 GMT

Hi, @SharkE ! When we lived in Hawaii, we had a horrible problem with bugs in flour, so much so that I stored it bagged in the freezer; warm and more humid climate. I think it's actually bug eggs that are in the flour and under the right temperature and humidity conditions they flourish, end up hatching and being big black specks in the flour.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

gardenman — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 10:20:53 GMT

Flour packaging is part of the problem. The paper packaging makes it easy for some flour to leak out on store or warehouse shelves and create a pathway for bugs to get into the flour. If flour was sold in airtight plastic bags, many of the bug problems would be solved. We store it in airtight plastic and glass containers after buying it, so packaging it in plastic seems doable.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

RNbynite — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 11:18:58 GMT

Lock n Lock doesn't solve the problem of eggs potentially already existing in grain products.........if they are there they will hatch under certain conditions. There may be larvae in some products that one may not notice. Therefore the best antidote is freezing the product. My thinking is that the eggs are likely impossible to avoid, but freezing will kill them......the longer the product sits on the shelf the greater the opportunity for eggs to hatch.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Shihtzursqmom — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 11:21:48 GMT

Oh I wish I hadn’t seen this 🫣
I use King Authur flour in all my baking different varieties of the flours , so far ( knock on wood) I’ve never Had a problem with it and I’ve used a LOT
I put it in a large glass canister when I get it from the store
I hate you’ve had so many problems that has to be frustrating for you and expensive it’s well over $6 a bag the last I bought
I use it to make yeast rolls a lot and baking cakes
For me the bread flour makes the best yeast rolls of any I’ve tried
I’ve used it for years

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

River Song — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:39:06 GMT

@Trailrun23 wrote:
Sounds like an ad for Lock & Lock! I do keep everything like rice, flour, cereal, etc. in them, so no bug worries. Wish they made some L&L big enough for my 45lb bag of.birdseed.

For birdseed stored in the garage, I use a galvanized metal garbage can. Rats and mice can chew through a plastic garbage can. Ask me how I know this, lol. Occasionally I do get those moths hatching out in the cheap bird seed I buy from Walmart. Haven't had that problem yet from birdseed I buy from Ace Hardware that they put on sale occasionally. Can't remember about the birdseed from Tractor Supply. It's probably all from the same factory anyway, just packaged differently.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

KatieB — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:47:39 GMT

How old was the flour you had with bugs? What was the expiration date on the package? I didn't see the original post.

@SharkE

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

SharkE — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 14:20:43 GMT

Feb. 2024

I go along with the idea that they should package the product in a different way. Flour has went up in price just like everything else. Flour isn't something you can rinse off in a strainer.

Somebody needs to pass a new restriction. I don't understand how any bug can survive in flour . Don't they need a water source ? do they just eat the flour ?

In future all my bags are going into the freezer, period, and not just for 48 hours it's living there. LOL OXO makes good products. I even have the LOCK and lock biggest cannister they make, but , it would take up a lot of space in my tall freezer. Just have a small freezer.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

candys mine — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 16:13:36 GMT

@SharkE Sorry your flour let you down. KA gave good advice. The Gov't doesn't even expect a 0% extraneous material in foodstuffs. It's guideline is all "Acceptable percentages".

Freezing seems to be the way to go. Not gone, but less extraneous protein and fiber to sift out.

My guess is this was a common problem in days of old. No freezers available so Sifting must have been the way to go.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Still Raining — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 16:41:59 GMT

In some places in this world, steady electricity and a freezer are only dreams.

We were told to roast the flour and then get something metal with a good seal for storage.

Killed the eggs and we could either sift out the dead bugs or they would float up if there was a lot of liquid.

Another option is to buy flour in cans. They usually advertise that the dead bugs have been removed. Still works for longterm storage. Check around.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

SharkE — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 17:28:33 GMT

Flour in cans ? Never heard of that.

Where could that be found ?

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

SharkE — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 18:12:15 GMT

Augerson Farms has some products , but, the shipping

is out of this world because the products comes in great weights.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Nightowlz — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 04:12:39 GMT

I knew they get bugs in them. Only saw them in a different brand flour I bought years ago when they were out of KA. I always put my flour in ziplock bags in the freezer. When I take one out of the freezer I keep it in the refrigerator.

Yum don't you just love to eat bugs.

Re: King Arthur response to my bug problem

Nightowlz — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 04:27:30 GMT

The FDA does allow certain percentage of gross stuff in our foods. Check out this chart. Disgusting.

How about rodent hairs, maggots & weevils for dinner. There's more for dessert.

Table: FDA Defect Action Levels

FOOD PRODUCTDEFECT LEVEL (Average sample unless otherwise indicated)

SEAFOOD
Blue Fin and other Fresh Water Herring	60 parasitic cysts per 100 fish (fish averaging 1 pound or less) or 100 pounds (fish averaging over 1 pound)
Red Fish and Ocean Perch	3 % of the fillets examined contain 1 or more copepods (tiny crustaceans) accompanied by pus pockets
Whitefish, Tullibees, Ciscoes, Inconnus, and Chubs	50 parasitic cysts per 100 pounds (whole or fillets)

VEGETABLES
Beets (canned)	5% or more pieces by weight with dry rot
Broccoli (frozen)	60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams
Corn, sweet(canned)	2 or more 3 mm or longer larvae, cast skins, larval or cast skin fragments, the aggregate length of insects or insect parts exceeds 12 mm in 24 pounds
Brussels Sprouts (frozen)	30 or more aphids and/or thrips per 100 grams
Mushrooms (canned and dried)	20 or more maggots of any size per 100 grams of drained mushrooms or 15 grams of dried mushrooms, 5 or more maggots 2 mm or longer per 100 grams of drained mushrooms or 15 grams of dried mushrooms, 75 mites per 100 grams drained mushrooms or 15 grams of dried mushrooms
Spinach (canned or frozen)	50 or more aphids, thrips and/or mites per 100 grams, 2 or more 3 mm or longer larvae and/or larval fragments or spinach worms (caterpillars) whose aggregate length exceeds 12 mm are present in 24 pounds
Tomatoes (canned)	10 or more fly eggs per 500 grams, 5 or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 500 grams, 2 or more maggots per 500 grams
Tomato paste or pizza sauce	30 or more fly eggs per 100 grams, 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams, 2 or more maggots per 100 grams (in a minimum of 12 subsamples)

FRUITS
Apricots (canned)	2% or more by count has been damaged or infected by insects
Berries	4 larvae or 10 whole insects per 500 grams or 10 or more whole insects or equivalent per 500 grams (excluding thrips, aphids, and mites)
Cherries (fresh, canned, or frozen)	4% or more pieces are rejects due to insects other than maggots
Citrus fruit juices (canned)	5 or more Drosophila and other fly eggs per 250 ml or 1 or more maggots per 250 ml
Dates (chopped, sliced, macerated)	5 or more dead insects (whole or equivalent) per 100 grams
Figs	10% or more by count are insect-infested
Peaches (canned and frozen)	12 – 1lb cans – one or more larvae and/or larval fragments whose aggregate length exceeds 5 mm

GRAINS, NUTS, BEANS, ETC.
Wheat	32 or more insect-damaged kernels per 100 grams, 9 mg or more rodent excreta pellets and/or pellet fragments per kilogram
Wheat flour	75 or more insect fragments per 50 grams, 1 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams (1 cup flour = 136 g = 4.8 oz)
Cornmeal	25 or more insect fragments per 25 grams, 1 or more rodent hairs per 25 grams or 1 or more rodent excreta fragment per 50 grams
Macaroni and Noodle Products	225 insect fragments or more per 225 grams (in 6 or more subsamples), 4.5 rodent hairs or more per 225 grams (in 6 or more subsamples)
Peas and Beans (dried)	5% or more by count insect-infested and/or insect-damaged by storage insects (in a minimum of 12 subsamples)
Peanuts (shelled)	20 or more whole insects or equivalent in 100-pound bag
Coffee beans	10% or more by count are insect-infested or insect-damaged
Hops	2,500 aphids or more per 10 grams
Cocoa beans	75 or more insect fragments per subsample of 50 grams when 6 subsamples are examined, 6 or more subsamples is 2 or more rodent hairs per subsample of 50 grams
Chocolate and chocolate liquor	60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams (in 6 – 100 g subsamples), 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams (in 6 – 100-gram subsamples)
Peanut butter	30 or more insect fragments per 100 grams, 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams

SPICES
Cinnamon (ground)	400 or more insect fragments per 50 grams
Curry (powder)	100 or more insect fragments per 25 grams, 4 or more rodent hairs per 25 grams
Fennel Seed	20% or more of subsamples contain insects, 20% or more of subsamples contain mammalian excreta
Ginger (whole)	3% or more pieces by weight are insect-infested, 3 mg or more of mammalian excreta per pound
Nutmeg (ground)	100 or more insect fragments per 10 grams, 1 or more rodent hairs per 10 grams
Oregano (ground)	1250 or more insect fragments per 10 grams, 5 or more rodent hairs per 10 grams
Pepper (ground)	475 or more insect fragments per 50 grams, 2 or more rodent hairs per 50 grams
Sage (ground)	200 or more insect fragments per 10 grams, 9 or more rodent hairs per 10 grams
Thyme (ground)	925 or more insect fragments per 10 grams, 2 or more rodent hairs per 10 grams