Whether it can be eaten depends on the specific situation.

1. Generally speaking, the insects born from grains are harmless. As long as the insects are not too serious, they can be eaten. For example, rice elephants feed on rice and will not bite humans. Therefore, if there are not many bugs, they can be eaten with confidence as long as they are "sifted" or washed clean. There is no need to throw away all the bugs in a bag of rice. Drop it, otherwise it will cause a lot of waste.

Neither larvae nor eggs carry germs and are not harmful to the human body. It does not matter if you accidentally eat them.

2. However, in some cases, grain insects can pose a threat to human health.

For example, when adults of Tribolium castaneum gather together, they produce a secretion called benzoquinone, which is carcinogenic. If such adults appear in grains, do not eat them. There are also Indian grain borer pupae that spin silk, which can easily cause flour to clump and deteriorate. If this adult insect appears in the flour, do not eat it.

In addition, after grains are infected by insects, the original protective outer tissue is destroyed, making them susceptible to infection by some plant pathogenic fungi. These pathogenic fungi often produce harmful substances to the human body. Mycotoxins, such as the notorious aflatoxin and DON produced by Fusarium, are far more threatening to human health than insects.

Therefore, if you encounter insect-infested grains that are also agglomerated and moldy, don’t eat them anymore.

Extended information:

Whether it is raw material or processed grain, once there are eggs present, when the temperature and humidity reach certain conditions, the eggs will hatch into adults. There are generally three sources of insect eggs.

The first reason is that when the grain is still in the ground, it itself carries insect eggs. Although there are impact steps during the processing of wheat, corn and oats, the adult insects in the grains can be crushed and killed. However, some carried eggs (mainly found in the embryo) cannot die and will enter the processed products and hatch into larvae under suitable conditions.

The second reason is the presence of pests and eggs in granaries, grain loading tools, equipment and transportation vehicles. However, this probability is relatively small, because cold chain transportation is now mainly used, and under the influence of low temperature, insect eggs are not easy to survive.

The third reason is that there may be sources of insects in warehouses, supermarkets, kitchens and other environments. Some eggs are hidden in the bottom of rice vats, seams in rice bags, cracks in walls, and cracks in the floor. When the environment is suitable, the insects will The eggs will hatch into adults. If other grain products in the supermarket are infested with worms, the adult worms may visit the nearby grain store, causing the grains to be infested with worms.

In the summer, due to the high ambient temperature and humidity, the eggs dormant in the grains begin to move. First, they hatch into "white and fat" larvae. After a long or short period of time, they metamorphose into adults. Complete its life cycle.

Xinhuanet-Why are grains prone to insects in summer? Can food with worms still be eaten?