Egg mortality of insects during pasta making

Egg mortality of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and Lasioderma serricorne (F.) was tested in an experimental plant of short and long pasta. Eggs were mixed with semolina before starting pasta making (20 eggs/kg semolina for Coleoptera and 300 eggs/kg semolina for Lepidoptera). The vitality and hatching of eggs were verified in the laboratory. Ninety days following production, long pasta (spaghetti) and short pasta (striped penne) were verified. In all tests, no infestation of pasta was observed. It is impossible for the eggs of rice weevil, confused flour beetle, indian meal moth and cigarette beetle to survive during mixing, extrusion and drying of pasta.