without a doubt the red-white varieties (Chioggia types) though I like them all.

Lars, that was my original question because I'd read against eating raw flour - I don't think it was limited to just white flour. It was because of ecoli in the product (I since have read elsewhere to not eat raw flour, so I don't). I suspect the ecoli gets into the flour in the mills, or even from the harvest fields. I know they (FDA) allow a certain # of impurities in our food. I would imagine that feces from vermin in both the fields and the processing plants (how could you ever keep mice and rats from getting into a large facility) end up in our food. Or who knows. Here is a more recent report from the CDC, showing that people DID become ill from eating raw flour. https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/flour-05-19/index.html Here is info on another, earlier problem: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fda-investigated-multistate-outbreak-shiga-toxin-producing-e-coli-infections-linked-flour eta: one more to read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6395439/ It's long and scientific, but: Conclusion In conclusion, findings of the present work further confirmed that EHEC and Salmonella could survive for extended periods in wheat flour stored at typical conditions used at home and commercial settings. Heat treatment is an effective method for mitigating risk of EHEC in flour but is more limited in case of Salmonella. On the other hand, storing produced flour at slightly high temperatures (35°C) for a minimum period of 2 months before distribution can be an effective substitute strategy affecting both EHEC and Salmonella. Results from this study further improve our knowledge regarding risk assessment and management, such as predicting thermal process lethality of EHEC and Salmonella in flour.

Believe it or not, the worms are probably a source of B12 which can prove to be important in the diets of vegans and vegetarians who have a hard time getting enough of this important nutrient. Nature gives us gnats/fruit flies, and weevils - which also provide B12 - and are commonly found in our food (usually unknowingly). Not all creepy/crawly things in nature are "bad", just a high "ick factor". I took a food class about vegan/vegetarianism from a woman who was a dietitian and a Seventh Day Adventist and she suggested these "add-ins" were important in their strict meatless diet; and it was also why vegans in third-world countries have less Pernicious anaemia. They are exposed to the bugs/worms/insects because they don't live in a world where everything cleaned and stored in Tupperware. Weevils in their meal and beans is a common thing that is just part of their diet. She even went so far as to suggest the next time a strict vegan was out for a bike ride and they encounter a swarm of gnats to be sure to swallow a few. An entomologists giving a class on "Pests In Your Pantry" also told the same thing about weevils in your food (which are a good source of protein and quite edible). Not what you really want to hear.....(LOL). -Grainlady

There are people who seem to value bacteria in soil as being beneficial for the digestive system. Don't wash your veggies, they say! Some bacteria are, but lots aren't. Our immune systems can handle small amounts of bad bacteria. But the history of food hygiene is a remarkable one. I believe that in 500BC in China it was realized that it wasn't smart to eat dirty, smelly, or discolored food, though they didn't really know why. Of course, with regard to soil borne bacteria, we ingest many just by breathing. Don't need to eat dirt to get them.