Bulk bins--- my love, albeit not perfect

[freemouse]

I love Bulk Bins in my HFS. The store has a lovely name "Down to Earth" and is the only local pure vegetarian HFS. I hang out with hippie veggies in the store and LOVE the bulk bins! Once or twice a week I can be spotted walking out with several little baggies of goodies---- trail mix, dry fruits, nuts, beans, nutritional yeast, soy milk powder, flax, salt, bran...........

Yesterday when I was eating some unsweetened coconut chips......there was this tint white meaty worm lying still in the bag :cry: :sick: why.....why my love fails me like this :cry: . In denial, I picked out the worm and ate couple of pieces more----just to show that I am not a wuss, that I am loyal to my HFS no matter what. I mean, it has to be hard to keep the bins completely clean, right? Plus this is an isolated inccident so I am not gonna turn away from the bins.

bug sux

[rincaro]

Ugh. So sorry to hear that freemouse. I love my bulk bins too. Nutritional yeast, seven kinds of rice, rainbows of lentils... *sigh*

[Walter]

freemouse, I doubt that little worm crawled into the store and into that bulk bin. I bet it was packaged and sent to the store in that bulk item and they just poured it into the bin along with the food!

[freemouse]

freemouse, I doubt that little worm crawled into the store and into that bulk bin. I bet it was packaged and sent to the store in that bulk item and they just poured it into the bin along with the food!

I think so too, because the worm is small (but very pink and fat!). Well, I will just keep my eyes open when I eat, I mean, you get worms in apples too right? Big deal !

[sag77]

freemouse, I doubt that little worm crawled into the store and into that bulk bin. I bet it was packaged and sent to the store in that bulk item and they just poured it into the bin along with the food!

Yep, it's really gross, but I always freeze flour, rice and things like those because they will get buggy if left over time--I find freezing it for a week wards off protential problems. Kinda sick huh, we're eating bug eggs without even knowing it. Hmm...does that make the food not veg? (Only kidding!!!) If something like that happens again, you might ask what their turnover is like with their bulk items; how long they sit.

My HFS is the same way--bulk bins of grains, beans, and best of all SPICES. Everything is incredibly cheap that way. I love it!!

[bstutzma]

I love the bulk bins!!! Lentils!!! Spices!! Yum Yum!! I find however that flour bought in bulk tends to be less fresh :-( can't be helped.

[kitsch]

if you love your health food store, i'd let them know what you found. those larvae could be from the indian meal moth, which if left to adulthood, will spread through the rest of the bins and cause your store to lose stock. apparently it doesn't take long.

i work in a health food store, and we've received bulk goods from our suppliers with the worms in them. most likely your store dumped the coconut into the bin without looking; the worms were probably in it already. i doubt it was from the store not cleaning the bins...i don't know how having dirty bins would breed worms if the eggs weren't there to start with.

[freemouse]

if you love your health food store, i'd let them know what you found. those larvae could be from the indian meal moth, which if left to adulthood, will spread through the rest of the bins and cause your store to lose stock. apparently it doesn't take long.

i work in a health food store, and we've received bulk goods from our suppliers with the worms in them. most likely your store dumped the coconut into the bin without looking; the worms were probably in it already. i doubt it was from the store not cleaning the bins...i don't know how having dirty bins would breed worms if the eggs weren't there to start with.

Thank you! Yes I finally decided that it will only help my HFS if I go talk to their staff (who know me well). Actually I am going now, dressed in my green T-shirt that says "Vegetarian" :bow: