By Laura Burstein, How2.com Consumer Reporter

Some would say the United States is among the top countries in food safety and cleanliness. Regulatory agencies like the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, an arm of the federal Food and Drug Administration, publish vast volumes of text describing the proper handling of food, cleanliness of food workers, and standards for food inspection.

But they also realize that dirt happens. And insects. And worms. And rodent droppings. These substances are affectionately deemed "extraneous materials" by our bureaucratic protectors. It is up to them to decide just how much of this stuff ends up on our dinner tables.

The FDA's Food Defect Action Levels report discusses in detail all the little surprises that may end up in your food.

For example, canned apricots are allowed an average of two percent "insect damage" or "infection by insects." Ground cinnamon may contain an average of 400 or more "insect fragments" per 50 grams.

Translation: There are bugs in your food.

And by the way, that same amount of cinnamon is also allowed to contain an average of one or more rodent hairs.

The FDA claims a few insect parts won't hurt us. Maybe that's true. But it's no more appetizing nonetheless. One curious detail is the use of the phrase "or more" to describe many of the allowable quantities of … um … stuff in our food. "Two worms or more." That's comforting. Imagine the Highway Patrol posting signs on the freeway that read "Speed limit 65 mph … or more."

The potential for contamination doesn't stop with little critters. Humans are often the biggest culprits when it comes to food safety violations. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food Code has set reassuring requirements for those employed in the food industry. According to the code, "The permit holder shall require food employee applicants ... and food employees to report to the person in charge, information about their health and activities as they relate to diseases that are transmissible through food." Loose translation: If you want to work with food, you must tell your boss if you have cooties.

Employees are also required to wash their hands "before engaging in food preparation, " "after touching bare human body parts other than clean hands," and "after engaging in other activities that contaminate the hands."

One can only imagine what some workers are doing in the washroom. But it's nice to know the federal government cares.