Mouse by ketchup and chocolate, crushed beetle in coffee and insects in chamomile tea. It may seem absurd and disgusting -and in fact it is -but it is within the standards allowed by Brazilian law. THE Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) authorizes the presence of Strange articles in industrialized foodssince in minimum and secure quantities. This is because, even with rigor in good manufacturing practices, the total removal of these waste is technically unfeasible.
In the case of ketchup and chocolate, for example, ANVISA RDC Resolution No. 623 allows for a rodent hair fragment per 100 grams of the product (for sauce) and 1 in 50g (for cocoa powder). This amount varies between the types of food because the possibility of contamination and the difficulty of avoiding it is different in each production process.
The hair is divided into three parts: bulb (which is at the root), rod (body) and the tip. A fragment in practice is formed by up to two of these three. “When we look at the microscope, we can identify if it is whole or in parts. If we see only the rod and the tip, it is fragment. But if the hair is complete -with bulb, body and tip -it is considered one by the whole. In this case, the product is unsatisfactory and needs to be collected from the market,” explains Mariana Silva Teixeira, food engineer at the Labal Microscopy Laboratory, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
Why is this allowed?
According to Anvisa, the eventual presence of hair, insects and other elements is conditioned to the nature of food and technological limitations of the production process. “It is accepted only when there is no technical viability of complete removal and when the thermal processing or other treatment ensures the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms eventually present,” the agency said in a statement.
Take the tomato, used on ketchup. They are harvested in open environments, where there is inevitable contact with soil and animals, such as rats, and microscopic waste can escape industrial cleaning.
In the coffee case, the law allows up to 60 fragments of insects for 25 grams, but these fragments must be of insects proper to coffee culture, such as the Capa-Drill.
This tiny beetle – which measures about 1.18 mm (males) and 1.65 mm (females) – is one of the main pests of Brazilian coffee growing. It attacks the fruits to feed and reproduce and is present in virtually all producing regions. Coffee growers use techniques such as biological control, integrated management and destruction of contaminated fruits, but the complete eradication of the pest is not always possible. “It is the same as the guava bug,” compares Aline Marotti, coordinator of certifications and quality of the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC).
Materials from vectors admittedly contaminating, such as cockroaches, are prohibited, according to Anvisa, as these “insects transit in high microbiological load and represent direct health risk to legislation.”
- Also read: Fake Coffee – Anvisa prohibits sales and consumption of 3 brands for containing toxin; See which
Is it bad for your health?
Within legal limits, no. According to Anvisa, there is no risk to human health if foods are processed correctly and quantities respect the standards. Professor Deise Baggio Ribeiro, from UFSC’s Department of Food Science and Technology, explains that the values were defined based on four criteria.
”The definition of values was determined based on the following criteria: a) health risk, considering the exposed population, processing, preparation conditions and form of consumption of the product; b) available national data; c) occurrence of stories strange even with the adoption of the best practices available; ed) existence of international reference, ” he listed.
Below are some foods and some of the strange articles allowed in Brazil:
| Food | Strange articles permitted | Tolerance Limits |
| Tomato products (sauces, puree, pulp, extract, dry tomatoes, canned tomatoes, ketchup and other derivatives) | Insect fragments* and rodent hair fragments | 10 in 100g (insect fragments) and 1 rodent hair fragment in 100g |
| Raisin | Insect fragments* and rodent hair fragments | 25 in 225g (insect fragments) and 1 rodent hair fragment in 225g |
| Paprika | Insect fragments* and rodent hair fragments | 80 in 25g (insect fragments) and 11 rodent hair fragments in 25g |
| Cinnamon powder | Insect fragments* and rodent hair fragments | 100 in 50g (insect fragments) and 1 rodent hair fragments in 50g |
| Cocoa powder or pasta | Insect fragments* and rodent hair fragments | 25 at 50g (insect fragments) and 1 rodent hair fragments in 50g |
| Ground roasted coffee | Insect fragments* | 60 in 25g |
*Fragments of insects indicative of good practices failures
And out there, how does it work?
Brazilian standards are similar to those of the United States and, in some cases, more strict than those adopted in Europe. THEFood Defect Levels HandbookHandbook of the American Regulatory Agency), allows the same 60 insect fragments for 100 g of toasted or ground coffee (equal here). It also authorizes that up to 10% of the grains are infested or damaged by insects. As for rodent hair, FDA even allows one for one for 100 g of chocolate (more than in Brazil), for example. For ketchup, there is no specific limit.
In Europe, the approach is different. Instead of numerical limits, the Alara principle applies (LOW AS REASONABLY ACHIEVABLEor “as low as reasonably possible”) for insect contamination. In the case of rodent hair, tolerance is zero – any presence is considered unacceptable.
What if the limit is exceeded?
When the amount of foreign matter passes from the allowed, it is a sign of failure in quality control. “If the result is unsatisfactory, the product goes through recall,” said Mariana of Labcal. Anvisa may determine the suspension of manufacturing, cancellation of the registration or other measures, depending on the severity of the case.
What can the consumer do?
If you find a foreign body on a food, the consumer should stop consuming immediately and, if possible, store the product and suspicious material. When this is not feasible -as in the case of larvae or insects in decomposition state -, the ideal is to record photos and videos that prove the presence of contamination.
After that, the company’s Consumer Care Service (SAC) should be called and formalize a complaint. If there is no solution, the consumer can look for Procon and, if necessary, file a lawsuit.
According to lawyer Isabelle Ribeiro, from TNP Advogados, it is possible to obtain compensation even without having ingested the product. “The simple fact of finding something inappropriate can already characterize moral damage. The compensation usually range from $ 2,000 to $ 10,000, and can reach $ 15,000 in more severe cases, especially when there is consumption of contaminated food,” he said.
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