A person discovered larvae inside a jar of Rao’s pasta sauce that had been sitting on their shelf for some time. The biggest surprise? The sauce was allegedly sealed.
What was inside this Rao’s pasta sauce?
In a video with more than 146,000 views, TikTok user lime.labs (@mirancyvasq) shared their discovery when opening a jar of Rao’s tomato sauce. They peered inside the glass container, revealing a small larva swimming and squirming in the sauce.
There’s a good chance that the larva the TikToker found in the Rao’s jar was a moth or caterpillar, though some speculated it was a maggot.
“[It] looks like a pantry moth caterpillar. It could have been on the rim. Check for spider-web like silk in your pantry and towards the corners of the ceiling. We had a bad infestation after buying bird seed,” one commenter wrote.
How could larvae get inside a sealed jar?
There are several ways a seal can break on a jar, especially during transport from the manufacturing facility to the store shelf. For that reason, it’s unlikely that the batch was canned with larvae eggs inside. The larvae would have died quickly after canning.
As one commenter explained, “In a sealed, store-bought jar of sauce, maggots cannot survive for more than a few hours. The jar’s sterile, airtight environment and the sauce’s acidity create a hostile environment that quickly kills any fly larvae. Maggots are a sign of contamination that occurs after a food product is opened or the seal is broken.”
Lime.labs believes the larvae entered the jar after insects laid eggs near the rim, breaking the seal and allowing contamination to occur. They suggested that this makes it less likely that Rao’s was directly responsible for the issue.
Others agreed, noting that the pasta sauce’s seal may have been compromised during storage or transport.
“The jar rings have mold growing on them. The seal was broken when you bought it or transported it likely,” another commenter said.
Some theorized that the contamination happened at the grocery store rather than at home. “It’s honestly more likely from the grocery store. They’re small enough to get in rims of sealed jars, like you saw. I [dealt] with the same issue. Thought it was brand specific too until I saw the moths at the store,” another user wrote.
What happens if you accidentally consume a bug?
It’s a good thing lime.labs didn’t end up eating the sauce. As one commenter pointed out, consuming contaminated food can lead to botulism. It’s likely that the seal for the jar broke before the creator used it, creating conditions where bacteria could grow.
Foodborne botulism occurs when toxins attack the body’s nerves and is often linked to spoiled or improperly stored foods. The illness can cause facial weakness, blurred or double vision, and paralysis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises boiling home-canned goods before consuming them, especially when canning low-acid foods such as tomatoes. While not recommended for products like Rao’s, it’s good to keep in mind that botulism is still possible when a product’s seal breaks. Doing so can help prevent botulism, which can be fatal.
@lime.labs It’s been in my pantry sealed. Idk how they got into a sealed container….
♬ original sound – mirancyvasq
The Mary Sue has reached out to Sovos Brands, Inc. for comment. We’ve sent Lime.labs a request for comment via TikTok direct message.
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