So today I was ready to make some MFF fondant and I opened a 7lb bag of powdered sugar. I thought that I saw something fall into the sugar as I opened the bag. I thought it resembled a small dead bug but just not sure.

I tried to spoon it out but never found it again. I slowly poured out the entire bag into a large bowl looking for it. Didn't see anything. I sifted out 2 lbs for the fondant and saw nothing unusual, but I couldn't get it out of my mind, especially since this will be for a cake for someone else. So I dumped it all back in the bowl, washed out my mixing bowl, went to the store and bought more sugar.

Now I'm looking at this big bowl filled with 7 lbs of powered sugar, wondering if it really is good for nothing. I'm thinking perhaps I could use some of it for royal icing to make gingerbread houses that no one will eat or other decorations that won't be consumed. Is it worth sifting through the entire 7 lbs ( I do hate sifting sugar) to get to the root of it?

I'm just kinda grossed out by the whole experience, but for all I really know it could have been something completely harmless... maybe some crystallized brown sugar which I also had out or even my imagination.

Please share your thoughts and especially any similar experiences so I know I'm not alone THANKS!

I'd sift it but I'm anal like that! Or I'd just throw it out.

I would NOT throw it out. Sift it whenever you are wanting to use it and feel safe there was nothing there but your imagination

Thanks! When I saw that my post title had been changed from just "powdered sugar dillema" to also include the phrase "possible dead bug", I feared harsher replies to be honest. I'll definitely sift through it again before using. I feel a little better knowing that I thought I saw a dead bug on my floor when cleaning up and it was just a bit of fondant. Later I smacked myself on the arm when I thought I saw a mosquito land on me and it was just a spot of black gel color. This makes the possibility of it just being my imagination a bit more of a possibility but leads me to wonder about my state of mental health...bug hallucinations? a phobia in the making?? Oh my!

I have thought the same thing too when pouring powdered sugar, but after sifting the sugar, found nothing, I think it just looks that way sometimes, an air pocket in the bowl, at least that is my conclusion.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, chances are you've already baked small fragments of dead bugs into cakes, since the FDA allows a certain level of natural contaminants in food.

It sounds gross, but the alternative would be spraying crops with increasing levels of pesticide.

More info:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/how_many_insect_parts_and_rodent_hairs_are_allowed_in_your_food.htm