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How do bugs get inside a sealed plastic bag?

After having a box of Hungry Jack pancake mix sitting at the back of my pantry for three years, I finally decided that today, I would open it up and make myself a nice breakfast. On pulling out the box, I noticed that the contents expired on November 11, 2008. As I was about to throw it away, I changed my mind and decided to open it up and see if it looked alright. Immediately, I could see several bugs still crawling or dead on the top of the powder. I pulled the bag the rest of the way out and found about 20-30 bugs visible in total. I searched all over the bag and could find no holes in it. How did they get in there?

Update:

If you think I've posted this in the wrong section, please let me know so I can repost. I wasn't sure where to put it to begin with and Yahoo didn't help.

5 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Sometimes when food is being processed like flour ,wheat, corn etc. The bugs and bug eggs that are on the plant before it gets harvested don't always get ground up or killed in the manufacturing process, so when the box has been sitting for a couple years the conditions improve enough for the bug eggs to hatch...there was also probobly enough room for air to get in that a couple bugs might have found their way into the box as well, i work in a food area and we have to keep our walnuts and pecans in our receiving area, but tlet those babies sit for a month because someone forgot them and we'll have a flour moths all over...it sucks...but hey bugs will happen

  • 1 decade ago

    They chew really tiny holes in the packaging and thats how they get in. You may not have seen the hole at first but try looking very closely for a tiny hole. Either that or they may have gotten in if the package wasn't sealed tightly. The bugs also could have reproduced several times and thats why you may have found so many.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    remember that you may not have seen any holes but they only need a teeny tiny opening to get in. And also don't use pancake mix past the expiry date even if it looks okay. It may grow spores and you will become extremely ill

    hope i helped :)

  • ?
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    The conditions and the content were already predisposed for this to happen. It happens often. Especially in any flour like items.

    You are okay here worry not. ;-)

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  • 1 decade ago

    may be ur bag or watevr is open so other way mean throug zip or windows of ur bag

    Source(s): g
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