Customer complaints about insect contaminated ready meals

More than one-hundred food complaints about ready meals, coming from mass catering, were analyzed from 2003 to 2017. Even if insects in meals have an enormous negative impact on customers, the percentage relevance, considering the long period and the number of meals served, is negligible. Coleoptera (34%) was the most represented order, followed by Lepidoptera (27%), and Diptera (23%). Coleoptera insects were mainly field pests, found in salads and spinach, moths were represented by species infesting vegetables (58%) and by stored product pests (42%). Species of hygienic concern were found in Diptera. Few cases of cockroach contamination were reported on different food, but it is important to underline their presence in the meal, as it indicates a heavy environmental infestation and a high hygienic risk.