Bettina_Moser_Food_Filth_Blog

Bettina A. Moser - Food Filth Blog
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ISO 17025 Accredited Food Testing Experts
Food Safety Testing: Food Filth? Get the Facts! Part 1
Posted by ABC Research Laboratories on Thu, Feb, 28, 2013 @ 10:02 AM
Food Filth Gets Personal
I was handed a Greek salad with olives that looked
delicious, but right before I was about to take a bite I
realized one of them was a marinated cockroach!
How did that roach make it into my once appetizing
Greek salad?
This was one of my most memorable experiences
with filthy food and my first extraneous matter
analysis of food (down to insect species ID – and yes,
the villain was a German cockroach). Little did I
know at that time that one day I would be the
Resident Entomologist and Extraneous Matter
Expert for ABC Research Laboratories.
What exactly is extraneous matter and filth, how
does it get into the food, and is it allowed?
1. DEFINTIONS:
Extraneous Matter: Any foreign matter in product associated with objectionable conditions or practices
in production, storage, distribution. Includes various classes of filth, decomposed material, and
miscellaneous matter such as sand, soil, glass, rust. Presence of extraneous materials may indicate
unsanitary conditions and practices at food processing facilities.
Filth: Any objectionable matter contributed by animal contamination such as rodent, insect, bird, or any
other objectionable matter contributed by unsanitary conditions. Filth is further categorized as Heavy
Filth, Light Filth, and Sieved Filth.
Heavy Filth: Materials separated from products by sedimentation based on different densities of filth,
food particles, and immersion liquids (i.e. materials are comparatively heavy). Examples are:
 Insect excreta pellets
 Rodent excreta pellets
Light Filth: Materials that are oleophilic and separated from product by floating them in an oil-aqueous
liquid mixture (i.e. materials are comparatively light). Examples are:
 Insect fragments
 Whole insects

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 Rodent hair
 Feather barbules
Sieved Filth: Filth particles separated from product by use of selected sieve mesh sizes.
Some sources use the terms Extraneous Matter and Filth interchangeably, and for the remainder of this
blog I will also use filth to include non-animal derived contamination.
2. HOW DOES FILTH GET INTO FOOD?
As defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “filth can enter a product through many
forms and sources; and is often invisible to the consumer. Filth may be present in food naturally and
unavoidably, or as the result of an intentional or unintentional controlled bad practice. The
identification, confirmation and quantitation of the filth can help determine how the material was found
in the product, if it was a natural and unavoidable event, an accidental event, a controllable event, an
unintentional event and/or a deliberate intentional event”.
3. IS FILTH ALLOWED IN FOOD?
The short answer is: Yes - under certain circumstances. The FDA actually permits rodent and insect filth
and other extraneous matter in some foods.
Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110.110 allows the FDA to establish maximum levels of
natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard. The FDA set these
action levels “because it is economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are
totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects”. Products harmful to consumers
are subject to regulatory action whether or not they exceed the action levels. Poor manufacturing
practices may result in enforcement action without regard to the action level.
Action levels are published in the FDA handbook "Food Defect Action Levels: Levels of Natural or
Unavoidable Defects in Foods That Present No Health Hazards for Humans". According to FDA
spokesperson Ira R. Allen, “the FDA can and will take regulatory action when these levels are
exceeded”.
Back to my Greek salad, the action level set by the FDA for
whole insects in salt-cured olives is an “average of 10% or
more olives by count with 10 or more scale insects
each”. In other words, less than 10% of olives with less
than 10 scale insects on each olive are
acceptable. Yummy.
Note that roaches are NOT included.
(Continue to Part 2!)
About the author: Dr. Bettina A. Moser is the Assistant Laboratory Manager for water microbiology at
ABC Research Laboratories, an ISO 17025 accredited food safety testing laboratory. Dr. Moser received

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her primary training at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany before completing her graduate studies,
including a doctorate in entomology and microbiology at the University of Florida. She has over 25 years
of research in education, corporate, and military settings, and over a dozen publications. Dr. Moser’s
specializes in rapid diagnosis of extraneous matter.
Topics: food safety, abc research laboratories, food testing, filth analysis, filth testing, food, filth, insects,
filth testing laboratory
Jack Ryals
2/28/2013, 2:22:05 PM
I enjoyed reading your article on extraneous matter in food products and would like to request your
permission to use it in Jackson Stoneworks Granite Buyers Club weekly newsletter. Our newsletter is
distributed to about 2000 homeowners and members of our local business community. Thank you. We
are always looking for good content that will be interesting to our readers.
ABC Research Laboratories
3/7/2013, 2:32:44 PM
Thanks for your interest, Jack! We are very flattered by your interest in the article. I'll email you so we
can sort out all the details.

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Posted by ABC Research Laboratories on Fri, Mar, 08, 2013 @ 09:03 AM
Continued from Part 1.
Did you know that you are eating insects, rat hair, rat excrement and insect fragments every day, And
that this is OK with the U.S. government? It is true. The FDA allows filth in food.
FOOD ADULTERATION THROUGH FILTH
The Federal Food Drugs, and Cosmetic Act (FD&CA)
declares food adulterated if “if it consists in whole or in
part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance, or if it
is otherwise unfit for food” [Section 402 [21 USC 342]
(a)(3)]; or “if it has been prepared, packed, or held under
insanitary conditions whereby it may have become
contaminated with filth, or whereby it may have been
rendered injurious to health” [Section 402 [21 USC 342]
(a)(4)]. However, most of our foods are made from plant or
animal material that is naturally contaminated with various
forms of filth, and it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate pest insects and other filthy
substances from the human food chain. In recognition of that, the FDA limits the quantity of filth in
foods through Defect Action Levels (DALs).
DEFECT ACTION LEVELS
DALs reflect current maximum levels for defects in food items that
 are natural or unavoidable under good manufacturing practices
 apply mainly to contaminants originating in raw agricultural
ingredients
 present no health hazard
DALs are published in the FDA handbook "Food Defect Action Levels: Levels of Natural or Unavoidable
Defects in Foods That Present No Health Hazards for Humans" and represent limits at which FDA will
regard the food product "adulterated" and subject to enforcement action. Poor manufacturing practices
may result in enforcement action without regard to the action level. Likewise, the mixing of one lot of
food with a defect at or above the current DAL with another clean lot of the same or another food to
lower the amount of filth found in the product is not permitted.
If there is no published DAL for a product, or when findings show levels or types of defects that do not
fit the action level criteria, FDA evaluates and decides on a case-by-case basis. For this, FDA's technical

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and regulatory experts in filth and extraneous materials use a variety of criteria, often in combination, to
determine the significance and regulatory impact of the findings (e.g., sizes of insect fragments, lengths
of hairs, distribution of filth in the sample, and combinations of filth types found). These criteria include
available scientific information on the animals species represented and knowledge of how a product is
grown, harvested, and processed.
NATURAL OR UNAVOIDABLE DEFECTS
Natural or unavoidable defects in foods include but are not limited to:
1. Insects (insect fragments, insect adults live &
dead, insect maggots and other larvae live
&dead, insect pupae; insect egg masses)
2. Mites
3. Parasites
4. Rodents (rodent hair, rodent excreta)
5. Other mammalian excreta
6. Mold
7. Nut shells
8. Pits
9. Plant stems
10. Sand and grit
Invariably, these defects are found in many food staples.
For example, the DALs for insect and rodent contaminants in ingredients to make pizza are:
WHEAT FLOUR
Insect filth: Average of 75 or more insect fragments per 50 g
Rodent filth: Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 50 g
TOMATO PASTE, PIZZA AND OTHER SAUCES
Insect filth: Average of 30 or more Drosophila fly eggs per 100 g OR 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more
maggots per 100 g OR 2 or more maggots per 100 g
MARJORAM, GROUND
BROCCOLI, FROZEN
Insect filth; mites: Average of 60 or more aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 g
Additional examples of levels of filth allowed in food items include:
PEANUT BUTTER

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CHOCOLATE
Insect filth: Average is 60 or more insect fragments per 100 g OR Any 1 subsample contains 90 or more
insect fragments
Rodent filth: Average is 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 g OR Any 1 subsample contains 3 or more rodent
hairs
RAISINS, GOLDEN
Insect filth: 10 or more whole or equivalent insects and 35 Drosophila eggs per 8 oz.
CINNAMON, GROUND
Eating insect and rodent filth seems gross, but is it dangerous? No
- as stated previously, DALs reflect current maximum levels for
filth in food items that present no health hazard for humans, and
it is estimated we unintentionally eat approximately one kilogram
of insects per year. And, "If we were more willing to accept higher
aesthetic defect levels, growers could reduce pesticides and
chemicals," maintains Philip Nixon, an entomologist at the
University of Illinois.
In fact, insects are a regular part of a balanced diet throughout
most of the world, with the exception of Europe and North
America: Over 1,000 species of insects are known to be eaten in
80% of the world's nations, a topic that I will explore in a different
article.

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Posted by Bettina Moser on Thu, Mar, 14, 2013 @ 16:03 PM
(Read Part 1, Part 2)
Regulatory Enforcement Tools
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&CA) is a set of
laws regulating the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics and
applies to domestic and imported products1
. One objective of
the FD&CA is to ensure public health by protecting the
consumer from unhealthy foods. The FD&CA is enforced by
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which operates like
other enforcement agencies in that it gathers and develops
forensic evidence to prove violations of the law2
. Regulatory
enforcement tools used by the FDA are discussed below.
In 2011, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was
signed into law. Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s Deputy
Commissioner for Foods calls the FSMA “historic legislation
(which) establishes in law a new public health paradigm for the FDA’s food safety program and
overhauls for the first time in more than 70 years the basic statutory tools on which we have
relied.” FSMA regulation emphasizes “prevention of” rather than “reaction to” food safety problems.
However, the new food safety system envisioned by FSMA is still in the process of being implemented.
THE FDA’S REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT TOOLS INCLUDE:
A. GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES
The “Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food” (cGMPs)
was first published by the FDA in 1969 (21 CFR Part 110) and has not been revised since 19863
. The
objective of GMP regulations is to establish rules for maintaining sanitary food processing conditions
that must be followed in food processing facilities. From a public health perspective, the use of GMPs,
the principal factors involved in achieving food sanitation, is essentially a technique of preventive
medicine4
. The FDA uses cGMPs as a tool to ensure compliance with Sections 402(a)(3) and (4) of the
FD&CA. These sections discuss “adulteration” of food through extraneous matter and filth.
B. HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS
In the 1990s the FDA began to establish a new comprehensive food safety assurance program for the
entire food industry based on “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)” systems. HACCP,
through its focus on hazard analysis and control, is another tool used by the FDA to proactively enforce

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food safety from harvest to consumption through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and
physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing,
distribution and consumption of the finished product.
C. REGULATORY ACTION CRITERIA
Scientists and policy makers at the FDA have established and defined three categories of filth and
extraneous matter to evaluate adulteration of food products5,6
. An “adulterant” or contaminant is a
foreign substance found in other substances and not allowed for legal or other reasons. "Adulteration",
a legal term, means that a food product fails to meet federal or state standards and adulterated food is
“unlawful”.
The three categories of extraneous matter encompass:
1. Health hazards: Physical, chemical, and biological hazards associated with filth
 Example of physical hazard: Hard and sharp foreign objects
 Example of chemical hazard: Allergenic mites and cockroaches
 Example of biological hazard: Fly and cockroach species that vector food-borne pathogens; wild
populations of these insects harbor the food-borne pathogens6
.
2. Indicators of insanitary practices:
Indicators of insanitation are represented by (a) visibly and objectionable contaminants such as foreign
objects, and (b) insects, mites, rodents, and birds which themselves are not hazardous but may have the
potential to serve as mechanical vectors of food-borne pathogens5
. In most cases of insanitation, insects
are the primary contaminants2
. The presence of indicators of insanitation in or around food suggests
that one or more basic sanitation safeguards in the food facility have failed. There are four groups of
animal indicators of insanitation:
 Opportunistic pests such cockroaches, flies, ants, rodents are attracted to human food but can
survive without it.
 Inadvertent or adventive pests such as birds, bats, and insects are not attracted to human
food. They sometimes seek human structures as shelter where they may come into contact
with food items.
 Obligatory or stored-product pests such as flour beetles, flour moths, and booklice are
dependent on human foods. Adulteration involving stored-product pests is associated with
insanitary conditions that are conducive to the spread of disease even though the pests
themselves pose no immediate health hazard.
 Insect parasites and predators are attracted to the food-contaminating pests. The presence of
parasites or predators suggests a relatively long-standing infestation by opportunistic,
inadvertent, or obligatory insect pests.

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3. Natural or unavoidable (aesthetic) defects:
Naturally occurring defects and contaminants include field insects or bits of soil carried into the food
processing operation. Aesthetic defects are considered harmless but are still subject to regulatory action
if they exceed the DALs.
The FDA uses a tiered approach to determine the significance of filth. First, FDA investigates whether
the filth finding presents a “health hazard”. If the answer is yes, HACCP procedures immediately come
into play to correct the problem. If the filth does not constitute a health hazard, FDA determines
whether the contaminants indicate insanitation. If the answer is yes, appropriate corrective actions such
as review and enforcement of cGMPs will be implemented. If the filth contaminants are not
representative of insanitary conditions, FDA confirms that the filth represents an aesthetic defect, and
appropriate regulatory action may be taken if there is a Defect Action Level (DAL) violation.
D. COMPLIANCE POLICY GUIDES
FDA Compliance Policy Guides (CPGs) explain the FDA policy on regulatory issues and advise the field
inspection and compliance staff on standards and procedures to be used for enforcing
compliance. CPGs have been created for contaminants where there is sufficient scientific evidence and
data to warrant guidance. For example, there is a CPG on “Filth from Insects, Rodents, and Other Pests
in Foods”.
E. IMPORT ALERTS & AUTOMATIC DETENTION
Rising consumption of imported food poses challenges for U.S. food safety officials as suppliers in far-
flung locations very often do not operate according to the high food safety standards and tight quality
controls implemented in the US7
. Filth is one of the most common violations. The FDA uses FDA Import
Alerts, also called FDA automatic detention lists, to notify its District Offices and FDA import inspection
and compliance officers that a foreign manufacturer and its products appear to be in violation of FD&CA
or FDA regulations. Import Alerts 02-01 and 02-02 are examples of products detained due to filth. In
most circumstances, FDA automatically detains products on FDA Import Alert without physical
examination (also called Detention without Physical Examination or DWPE). Once on an Import Alert,
FDA will continue to automatically detain the affected products until the manufacturer, shipper, grower,
or importer demonstrates to FDA that the violation has been corrected.
F. WARNING LETTERS
When FDA finds that a manufacturer has significantly violated FDA regulations, FDA notifies the
manufacturer, often in the form of a Warning Letter. The Warning Letter identifies the violations and
instructs the company to correct the problems, for example “adulteration of food within the meaning of
Section 402(a)(4) of the FD&CA”. FDA then checks to ensure that the company’s corrections are
adequate.

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CONTACT ABC RESEARCH LABORATORIES
ABC Research Laboratories, an ISO 17O25 accredited laboratory, is equipped to perform extraneous
matter analyses on all types of foods. Call us today at 1.866.233.5883 or contact us here to submit your
samples for analysis.
References:
1. Paris M. Brickey, Jr. 1995. Chapter 1: Concepts of Food Protection. In: FDA Technical Bulletin No. 1.
Principles of Food Analysis for Filth, Decomposition and Foreign Matter. J. Richard Gorham ed. AOAC
International.
2. Michael L. Zimmerman and Paris M. Brickey, Jr. 1996. Chapter 16: Forensic Evidence Development.
In: Fundamentals of Microanalytical Entomology. A Practical Guide to Detecting and Identifying Filth in
Foods. Alan R. Olsen et. al. eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
3. Hulya Dogan, Bhadriraj Subramanyam, and John R. Pedersen. 2010. Chapter 19: Analysis for
Extraneous Matter. In: Food Analysis, 4th
edition. S. Suzanne Nielsen ed. Springer New York.
4. J. Richard Gorham. 1995. Chapter 4: Filth in Foods: Implications for Health. In: FDA Technical Bulletin
No. 1. Principles of Food Analysis for Filth, Decomposition and Foreign Matter. J. Richard Gorham ed.
AOAC International.
5. J. Richard Gorham and Ludek Zurek. 2006. Chapter 74: Filth and Other Foreign Objects in Food. A
Review of Analytical Methods and Health Significance. In: Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and
Engineering (2). Yiu H. Hui et al. eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
6. Alan R. Olsen, John S. Gecan, George Ziobro, and John L. Bryce. 2001. Regulatory Action Criteria for
Filth and Other Extraneous materials. V. Strategy for Evaluating Hazardous and Nonhazardous Filth.
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 33: 363-392.
7. Fred Gale, and Jean C. Buzby. 2009. Imports from China and Food Safety Issues. USDA Economic
Information Bulletin No. 52.
Topics: food safety, food testing, food contaminants, filth analysis, filth testing, food filth, extraneous
matter, bugs in food

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Posted by ABC Research Laboratories on Tue, Mar, 26, 2013 @ 14:03 PM
(Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
Detection Techniques for Extraneous Matter
ANALYTICAL ENTOMOLOGY
The FDA, as the “federal monitor for the wholesomeness of
food”1
, relies on filth analysis of food commodities to detect
food adulteration and lapses in food sanitation. Analytical
entomology, a branch of forensic entomology, is the
discipline of sanitary science concerned with the detection,
separation, quantification, identification and regulatory
interpretation of extraneous materials in food matrices
(including insects, hair, feathers, rodent droppings and other
contaminants) to determine whether a food has been
adulterated2,3
.
METHODOLOGY FOR FILTH ANALYSIS
Standard analytical laboratory procedures are used for the analysis of filth elements from food
matrices. These procedures consist of several steps including:
1. Detection
2. Isolation
3. Identification
4. Measurement
5. Quantification
6. Tabulation
AOAC International, AACC International, and the FDA have published numerous methods for the
detection, isolation, quantification, and identification of heavy and light filth from food matrices, all of
which involve particulate filth. These methods range in complexity from simply picking rodent droppings
from a bag of grains to the use of very sophisticated and sensitive physical and chemical separation
techniques1
. AOAC International publishes 159 methods for the analysis of extraneous materials in
various food matrices in the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA)4
which are also available online. Most
analytical methods that involve a chemical extraction procedure are found here. AACC International has
29 published methods for the examination of extraneous matter in grains. The FDA’s Macroanalytical

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Procedures Manual compiles “standardized macroanalytical procedures for identifying defects in food
products”. The FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) publishes a reference manual for FDA laboratory
personnel, the “ORA Laboratory Manual”. Volume 4, Section 4 of the ORA Laboratory Manual,
“Laboratory Training” - “Microanalytical and Filth Analysis”, introduces the FDA scientist to filth analysis
of food5
. The FDA also issues Laboratory Information Bulletins (LIBs) that describe interim techniques in
current use by FDA laboratories6
, for example FDA Laboratory Information Bulletin # 3172 – Rapid
Procedure for the Examination of Shrimp for Filth. LIBs are used for the rapid dissemination of
laboratory methods and information which have not yet been fully developed and validated.
Generally, visual inspection procedures and other “macroanalytical methods” are used for the detection
of heavy filth while “microanalytical methods” are needed for the detection of light filth. Macroscopic
and microscopic procedures for filth analysis are often used in tandem, and together provide a
comprehensive evaluation of defects in the product5
. Both types of methods are discussed in more
detail below.
MACROANALYTICAL METHODS
Macroanalytical or macroscopic methods refer to the evaluation of a product through the use of the
unaided senses (primarily sight, smell, or taste) of an individual. Virtually every consumer conducts some
form of macroscopic examination of food items (and other consumer goods) to detect defects before
the product is bought or used. The examination may range from a quick visual check of the product to a
more thorough inspection to look for defects.
In a professional setting, macroanalytical methods are inexpensive, fast, and require little specialized
equipment. Large lots can be analyzed in a relatively short amount of time, and portions of a lot with
potential defects are quickly identified and segregated for further microscopic evaluation. The most
basic method for detecting filth in food products involves spreading small amounts of food on a white
surface and examining the product for contaminants with the naked eye, sometimes assisted by a
magnifying glass. Suspect particles are collected in a Petri dish for further examination with a dissecting
microscope and, possibly, a compound microscope. A dry sieving step may be added to separate
macroscopic and microscopic filth from food6
. Special techniques used in macroanalytical procedures
include X-ray radiography to determine the amount of insect damage of seeds, the determination of the
direction of insect penetration of food packaging, the microscopic confirmation of decomposition due to
molds, and the detection and recovery of live insects with a Berlese funnel. For example, AOAC 973.63,
“Insect Penetration through Packaging Materials”, describes the macroscopic characteristics of entrance
and exit holes of common stored-product insects in different types of packaging materials.
Macroanalytical methods have been published for such varied products as beverages, bakery products,
grains and grain products, chocolates and sugars, dairy products, seafood, spices and condiments, fruits
and fruit products, nuts and nut products, and vegetables and vegetable products.
MICROANALYTICAL METHODS
Microanalytical or microscopic methods of analysis are primarily used for light filth and involve the
detailed examination of very small sample portions, usually requiring microscopic evaluation of the
analyte (filth). The term “Microanalytical Entomology” is derived from the small sizes of insects and
minute sizes of insect fragments that are isolated and identified from food items3
. Microanalytical

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methods identify defects that cannot be detected through a gross evaluation
of the sample. These methods tend to be more time-consuming, expensive,
and require more specialized equipment than macroanalytical methods. The
results are not always representative of the overall condition of the lot as only
a very small sample size is analyzed5
.
Flotation methods: Methods for the detection of microscopic filth utilize the
fact that light filth particles are lipophilic or oleophilic and involve dispersing
an extraction oil (usually mineral oil) into an aqueous or alcoholic mixture of
the food sample. Light filth particles such as insect fragments, mites, and hairs
float to the surface with the oils as they are lipophilic and like to be in the oil
phase (hence the term "light filth")5,7
. Food materials are largely hydrophilic
and stay in the water phase. Larger particles sink to the bottom of the mixture.
The analyte (filth) portion is usually minute, both in a weight to weight relationship to the food (parts
per million) and in size5
. The final step of most flotation methods is to transfer the oil containing the
extracted filth to a ruled fast draining filter paper for microscopic examination under a widefield
stereomicroscope. Phase contrast microscopy for further identification may be needed.
Microanalytical methods have been published for such varied products as beverages, dairy products,
nuts and nut products, grains and grain products, bakery products, breakfast cereals, eggs & egg
products, poultry, meat and fish products, fruits and fruit products, sugars and sugar products,
vegetables and vegetable products, and spices and condiments.
References:
1. Russell G. Dent. 1995. Chapter 10: Elements of Filth Detection. In: FDA Technical Bulletin No. 1.
Principles of Food Analysis for Filth, Decomposition and Foreign Matter. J. Richard Gorham ed. AOAC
International.
2. J. Richard Gorham. 1995. Editorial Note. In: FDA Technical Bulletin No. 1. Principles of Food Analysis
for Filth, Decomposition and Foreign Matter. J. Richard Gorham ed. AOAC International.
3. Alan R. Olsen. 1996. Chapter 1: Introduction. In: Fundamentals of Microanalytical Entomology. A
Practical Guide to Detecting and Identifying Filth in Foods. Alan R. Olsen et. al. eds. CRC Press, Boca
Raton, FL.
4. Jack L. Boese, and Stanley M. Cichowicz. 2005. Chapter 16: Extraneous Materials: Isolation. In: Official
Methods of Analysis. AOAC International.

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5. FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs. 2003. ORA Laboratory Manual, Volume IV, Section 4-Laboratory
Training: Microanalytical and Filth Analysis. FDA.
6. Edwin C. Washborn, and Kenneth R. Halcrow. 1996. Chapter 15: Laboratory Procedures. In:
Fundamentals of Microanalytical Entomology. A Practical Guide to Detecting and Identifying Filth in
Foods. Alan R. Olsen et. al. eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
7. J. Richard Gorham and Ludek Zurek. 2006. Chapter 74: Filth and Other Foreign Objects in Food. A
Review of Analytical Methods and Health Significance. In: Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and
Engineering (2). Yiu H. Hui et al. eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Genetic ID
5/14/2014, 4:31:10 AM
Here in this blog they have given some points which are used for filth analysis,which are quite
impressive.
Genetic ID
champagne sabre
6/9/2014, 12:55:23 PM
Filth analysis is the best way of testing the foods.Thanks for such a nice information.
champagne sabre

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Posted by ABC Research Laboratories on Fri, Apr, 05, 2013 @ 13:04 PM
IMPORTANCE OF SAMPLE SIZE
The goal of filth analysis is to generate results that are
representative of the entire population or lot, as the findings
will be used to determine the acceptability of a given lot or
shipment of food material1
. A “lot” is “the basis of sample
collection by the FDA”2
and defined in 21 CFR 101.9(g) as a
“collection of primary containers or units of the same size,
type, and style produced under conditions as nearly uniform
as possible, and designated by……a day’s production”. For
practical reasons, an entire lot cannot be examined in detail
for extraneous matter, and analysis of the product is limited
to a representative portion or sample collected from the
lot1,3
. Samples that are too large are a waste of time,
resources and money, while samples that are too small may
lead to inaccurate results. Interestingly, data generated from
representative samples are normally more accurate than data generated from the analysis of an entire
lot3
. The sample size needs to be statistically significant, and selecting the correct sample size is very
important. The appropriate sample size is determined by the size of the lot to be sampled and consists
of two components:
 the number of subsamples to be taken
 the amount of each subsample to be analyzed
TYPES OF SAMPLING
The FDA’s Macroanalytical Procedures Manual (MPM) defines two types of sampling1
:
 Representative Sampling – “Representative sampling is an objective sampling technique used
when the sample of the material has been selected to maximize the probability that it contains
the same proportion of defects as the entire lot”. Representative sampling is performed to
determine the condition of an entire lot. A representative sample is always drawn by random
selection or sampling. Random or “blind” sampling, as defined in the FDA Investigations and
Operations Manual (IOM)4
, is used when there is no information about the lot to be sampled
and ensures that each element (subsample) in the population (lot) has an equal probability of
being selected for analysis.
 Selective Sampling – “Selective sampling is a subjective sampling technique where materials are
drawn to confirm a suspected defect. Unlike representative sampling where material is drawn at
random to assess the general condition of a lot, this technique is deliberately biased”. Selective

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sampling is subjective and biased and generally performed as a follow-up to representative
sampling.
SAMPLING PROTOCOLS
The FDA provides more or less detailed guidance on sampling procedures, the number of subsamples to
be taken and the size of each subsample to be analyzed for a range of products in several references
including the Investigations Operations Manual Sample Schedule, Compliance Program Guidance
Manual (CPGM), ORA Laboratory Manual, and Laboratory Information Bulletins(LIBs).
Example: FDA guidance on sample collection for Imported Cheese
 For cheese wheels, loaves, or bricks ranging in weight from 2. 27 kg (5 lbs.) or greater, collect a
sample consisting of two (2) intact units from the same lot.
 For retail units ranging in weight from 454 g (1 lb.) to less than 2. 27 kg (5 lbs.), collect a sample
consisting of ten (10) intact units (subsamples) from the same lot.
 For retail units weighing less than 454 g (1 lb.), collect enough units to represent one (1) sample
(i.e., ten (10) subsamples). For example, if the product is only available in 227 g (8 oz.) units,
collect twenty (20) intact units from the same lot. Therefore, two (2) units each will equal one
(1) subsample.
In the absence of specific guidance, the FDA also provides two references on how many subsamples to
collect:
1. CPGM Chapter 3 Part III D25
specifies to “collect ten two-lbs subsamples at random”.
2. IOM Chapter 4. Section 4.3.7.2 – Random sampling4
: “A general rule is to collect samples from
the square root of the number of cases or shipping containers but not less than 12 or more than
36 subs in duplicate”.
In addition, AOAC International Extraneous Materials Methods describe how much material to analyze
per subsample. These methods are published in the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA)6
which are also
available online.
PROBLEMS IN SAMPLING
Numerous factors, both very basic and very sophisticated and complex, contribute to the generation of
representative analytical results. Good analytical techniques alone cannot guarantee representative
results if sample collection or sample handling was inadequate, for example. Factors related to sampling
and sample handling that bias analytical results include3
:
 Inadequate sampling technique
 Inadequate sample size
 Poor sample storage resulting in sample degradation or contamination
 Mislabeling of samples

Page 17 of 26
PRIVATE LABORATORY
The importer of a detained food item typically hires a private laboratory not only for the analysis, but
also for representative sampling of the product.
Chapter 7 of the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) Laboratory Manual, “Private Laboratory
Guidance”7
, outlines steps to be taken by the private laboratory to ensure FDA-compliant sampling
techniques and ultimately scientifically sound results representative of the lot. Tasks of the sampler
include but are not limited to:
 Verify identity of lot to be sampled
 Collect samples according to established guidelines (such as FDA guidelines)
 Ensure integrity of samples (avoid contamination, temperature abuse)
 Complete collection report to document sample collection method(s), lot size and identity,
sample size, unusual observations about lot, and other pertinent information
 Ship samples to private laboratory
ABC Research Laboratories, an ISO 17O25 accredited laboratory, provides FDA-compliant sampling
services and is equipped to perform extraneous matter analyses on all types of foods. Call us today at
1.866.233.5883 or contact us here to submit your samples for analysis.
References:
1. FDA. 1984, Electronic Version 1998. Macroanalytical Procedures Manual. Technical Bulletin Number 5.
Chapter 1: Introduction. FDA.
2. Lloyd E. Metzger. 2010. Chapter 3: Nutritional Labeling. In: Food Analysis, 4th
edition. S. Suzanne
Nielsen, ed. Springer New York.
3. Rubén O. Morawicki. 2010. Chapter 5: Sampling and Sample Preparation. In: Food Analysis, 4th
edition. S. Suzanne Nielsen, ed. Springer New York.
4. FDA Investigations Operations Manual. Chapter 4 – Sampling. Subchapter 4.3 – Collection Technique.
FDA.
5. FDA Compliance Program Guidance Manual. Section Food and Cosmetics. Food Compliance Program #
7303.819: Import Foods – General. Implementation Date: 9/5/2006. FDA.
6. Jack L. Boese, and Stanley M. Cichowicz. 2005. Chapter 16: Extraneous Materials: Isolation. In: Official
Methods of Analysis. AOAC International.
7. FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs. 2003. ORA Laboratory Manual, Volume III, Section 7- Other Lab
Operations. Private Laboratory Guidance. FDA.

Page 18 of 26
Bugs Rule!
Topics: Bettina, sampling, food safety, filth testing, food filth, ABC research

Page 19 of 26
Food Filth? Get the Facts! Part 6
Posted by ABC Research Laboratories on Fri, Apr, 12, 2013 @ 14:04 PM
(Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)
1. COLEOPTERA - BEETLES
A. Curculionidae: Sitophilus spp.
Sitophilus granarius (L.) and S. oryzae (L.) - Granary weevil and Rice weevil:
Hollow rice kernel
Sitophilus granarius (L.), the granary weevil, and S. oryzae (L.), the rice weevil, are important primary
pests of whole grains worldwide but of little significance as pests of milled cereals as the larvae require a
hard substrate in which to develop. The brown to black adults are relatively small in size, ranging in
length from 2.0-4.0 mm. These weevils complete their entire development within a single grain. The
female bores a hole in a grain with her mandibles and lays her egg at the bottom of the hole which is
then sealed with a gelatinous plug. After four molts, the stout and slightly curved larva pupates within
the grain.

Page 20 of 26
Sitophilus linearis (Herbst) – Tamarind weevil:
Sitophilus linearis from dried Tamarind pulp
The tamarind weevil, S. linearis (Herbst), is a serious pest of its host and forage plant, the tamarind
(Tamarindus indica L., Leguminosae) and occurs wherever tamarind is cultivated. The tamarind is native
to tropical Africa and was introduced into tropical America and the Caribbean after the discovery of the
New World. As far as is known, the tamarind weevil naturally only breeds in mature seeds of T. indica.
The adult is approximately 4.5 mm in length. Female weevils excavate many individual egg cavities in a
single tamarind seed for oviposition. Once an egg is laid, the cavity is sealed. The larvae bore
throughout the seed where they feed and pupate.
FUN FACTS:
 The Curculionidae or true weevils form the largest family in the Animal Kingdom with 60,000
described species worldwide.
 Curculionids are primary grain feeders or pests of stored products. Primary pests are specialized
on feeding and breeding on undamaged grains; hence providing access for secondary pests such
as Oryzaephilus spp.
 Adult Curculionid beetles are distinguished from all other beetles through the characteristic
shape of their heads. The head elongates in front of the eyes to form a well-defined rostrum or
snout, resembling a straw attached to the head capsule. The mandibles are located at the tip of
the snout which also sports geniculate (elbowed) and clubbed antennae.
 Among all stored-product insects, S. granarius is the only species never recorded outside of
storage facilities. Unlike other stored-product insect pests, the granary weevil cannot fly; its
elytra are fused and the hind wings and flight muscles have been significantly reduced.

Page 21 of 26
B. Silvanidae: Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus) – Saw-toothed grain beetle
Live Oryzaephilus surinamensis in stored rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZX03e0-heFg
The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus), is a secondary pest of stored
products with a cosmopolitan distribution. Both adult and larval stages feed on a wide variety of stored
foods including grains, flours, nuts, and dried fruits.
The adult beetle is slender, flat, dark brown and approximately 2.5–3.0 mm in length. It features 6
characteristic saw-toothed projections on each side of the prothorax and may live up to 3 years. The
adults rarely fly and tend to hide during the day in cracks and crevices.
The whitish eggs are laid loose into the substrate or tucked into creases in the grain. The pale yellow,
elongate larva passes through four instars and eventually pupates within a cocoon-like structure of small
grains or food particles.
FUN FACTS:
 Secondary pests are not capable of attacking undamaged grains. They can only feed and breed
on grains that have been physically damaged by primary pests, through bad handling, threshing,
drying or intentional processing that removes or damages the seed coat.
 Storage pest insects are capable of very rapid population growth with potential growth rates of
20 to 60 times per month under optimum conditions. For example, with a 40-fold growth
rate/month, one gravid female invading the grain can lead to 40 individuals after one month,
1600 individuals after two months, 64,000 after three months, and 2,560,000 after four months.

Page 22 of 26
C. Tenebrionidae: Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) – Red flour beetle
Live Tribolium castaneum in stored rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vYYf5PjxKzY
The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), is one of the most important secondary pests of
stored products with a very wide host range. Both adults and larvae feed on crops such as maize,
groundnut, oats, Brazil nut, barley, walnuts, lentil, rice, beans, peas, almond, rye, sorghum and wheat.
They also attack a wide range of dried stored products.
Native to the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Indo-Australia, the red flour beetle has spread across
the globe and different climate zones. In temperate zones, it is adapted to surviving the winter in
protected areas including heated storage facilities.
The adult beetle is reddish brown in color and approximately 3.0-4.0 mm long. It sports reddish-black
notched eyes and clubbed or capitate antennae with the last three segments wider than preceding
segments. Its live expectancy is more than three years.
Eggs are approximately 0.5 mm long, cylindrical and white or colorless. The egg surface is coated with a
sticky secretion to which food particles adhere, hence effectively “camouflaging” the eggs. Larvae are
yellowish-white, slender, cylindrical, covered with fine hairs and approximately 8.0 mm long. Pupae
range in length from 3.0-4.0 mm and not enclosed in cocoons. They are yellowish-white at first but turn
brown later.
FUN FACTS:
 T. castaneum is extensively used for genetic studies. It is the first beetle whose entire genome
has been sequenced.

Page 23 of 26
 T. castaneum has been used in space shuttle experiments to study the effects of microgravity
and radiation on development.
2. LEPIDOPTERA – BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
Pyralidae: Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) – Indian meal moth
The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) is cosmopolitan and one of the most serious
secondary insect pests of stored-products and processed food commodities. Feeding damage is done by
the larval stages, which attack a wide range of products including cereal and cereal products, flour,
cornmeal, rice, dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate.
Plodia interpunctella
Adult moths are small (15 - 20 mm wingspan) with forewings patterned in reddish brown and whitish
gray. Female moths lay their eggs singly or in groups on food material which hatch within a few days
into small whitish caterpillars. The larvae produce webbing as they grow and leave behind silken threads
wherever they crawl. When fully grown, the larva is about 15 mm long and white with a greenish or
pinkish hue. The larva pupates inside a silken cocoon from which the adult moth later emerges.
FUN FACTS:
 The common name for this species was coined by Asa Fitch in a report published in 1856. Fitch
noted that the larvae infest stores of cornmeal, which was then called "Indian meal".
 The most famous member of the Lepidoptera in North America, the Monarch butterfly Danaus
plexippus, has a migratory pattern just like migratory birds. Adult butterflies travel between
1,200 and 2,800 miles or more from their summer habitats in the United States and Canada to
their winter habitat in central Mexican forests.

Page 24 of 26
3. PSOCOPTERA – BOOKLICE AND BARKLICE
Liposcelididae: Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel
Live Psocid in stored rice
Psocoptera or psocids have emerged worldwide as serious secondary stored-product pests. Infestations
of psocids are generally more prevalent in commodities with high moisture content which are
contaminated with mold. Psocids are known to infest grain, particularly in Southeast Asia where they
sometimes occur in prolific numbers. Infestation with psocids can cause significant weight and quality
loss in stored grain. Most psocid pests of stored products are in the genus Liposcelis (Liposcelididae).
The psocid Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel is considered to be the most widespread species of the
genus Liposcelis. Its life cycle includes eggs, four nymphal stages, and adult females (no pupal stage). The
ovoid eggs are one-third the size of the adult, glistening, translucent, and glued to the substrate.
FUN FACTS:
 Psocids are minute, soft-bodied, insects about 1 to 6 mm long. Most indoor species or booklice
are wingless and often go unnoticed. They thrive in books and present a danger to library
collections. Outdoor species or barklice often have well-developed wings and live on trees and
shrubs.
 Certain species of Psocids reproduce by parthenogenesis in which development occurs from
unfertilized eggs. That means there are no males, only females who lay unfertilized eggs.

Page 25 of 26
Selected References:
Curculionidae:
 FAO Corporate Document Repository. 1992. Towards integrated commodity and pest
management in grain storage. The biology of some important primary, secondary and associated
species of stored products. Coleoptera. 6. Curculionidae.
 Rudy Plarre. 2010. An attempt to reconstruct the natural and cultural history of the granary
weevil, Sitophilus granarius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Eur. J. Entomol. 107: 1–11.
 Richard T. Cotton. 1920. Tamarind pod borer, Sitophilus linearis (Herbst). Journal of Agricultural
Research XX (6):439-448).
 J. Morton. 1987. Tamarind. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL.
Silvanidae:
species of stored products. Coleoptera. 8. Silvanidae.
 Diagnostic Services. Michigan State University. Saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus
surinamensis.
 BioNET EAFRINET. Keys and Fact Sheets: Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus, 1758) - Saw-
toothed Grain Beetle.
Tenebrionidae:
 BioNET EAFRINET. Keys and Fact Sheets: Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797)– Red flour beetle
 Featured Creatures. Entomology & Nematology Department, University of Florida & Division of
Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
species of stored products. Coleoptera. 9. Tenebrionidae.
 Tribolium Genome Sequencing Consortium. Richards S. et al. 2008; published online 23 March
2008. The genome of the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum. Nature 452:949-55.
o R.L. Bennett, M.K. Abbott, R.E. Denell. 1994. Insect gravitational biology: ground-based
and shuttle flight experiments using the beetle Tribolium castaneum. J. Exp. Zool.
269(3):242-52.
o United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. Stored Product
Insect Research Unit. Tribolium genetics.

Page 26 of 26
Pyralidae:
management in grain storage. Moths of economic importance infesting stored products:
Selected notes on bionomics and identification. Flour Moths.
 University of California. Agriculture and Natural Resources. UC IPM online. Pests of Homes,
Structures, People, and Pets. Pantry Pests. Revised 3/13.
 PennState College of Agricultural Sciences. Entomology. Insect Advice from Extension. Indian
Meal Moth.
 Wikipedia. Indian Meal Moth.
Psocoptera:
management in grain storage. Section 5: Introduction to general taxonomy and biology/
ecology of stored products insect pests.
 United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. Stored Product Insect
Research Unit. Psocid ID: Fact Sheet.
 David Shetlar. 2009. The Ohio State University Extension. Agricultural and Natural Resources.
Fact Sheet HYG-2080-09. Booklice and Psocids.
 Oxford University Library Services. Conservation and Collection Care.
Topics: bettina moser, food filth facts, insects in food, food safety, food testing, food filth, bugs in food,
microbiology
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