Foods you eat every day like chocolate, coffee, and beer all contain thousands of insect bits (2024)

The INSIDER Summary:

• A new study from an insect control company estimatedthat we eat, on average, 140,000 'bug bits' every year.
• Mealworm, maggot, and roach pieces are found in everyday foods like chocolate, coffee, and wheat flour.
• It's totally legal: The FDA allows small amounts of insect matter in our food.

Talk about unwelcome guests. You may not be ready to start implementing bugs into your diet, but a new study shows that you're already eating them in massive quantities.

Terro, an insect control company based in Pennsylvania, released a report that estimated that the average individual eats 140,000 insect pieces every year. But even thoughthat number probably makes you squeamish, Terro says it's totally normal. Even the FDA allows a certain amount of insect matter to make its way into our food in safe quantities.

You may not be able to see or taste these tiny bug bits, but rest assured: mealworms, maggots, roaches, and beetles can be found in everyday foods, especially coffee beans, chocolate, and wheat flour. The "worst" offender of the creepy crawly additives is hops (used in beer), which can contain 25,000 bug bits per 100 grams (about two and a half cups).

"While it might be unsettling to realize insects ultimately end up in the food we eat, many cultures across the world eat them whole as a part of their overall diet," Terro's press release said.

We had better get used to it. After all, insects are the future of food!

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