🐞 Bugs in Your Food? Here’s What You’re Really Eating

Insects and insect-derived additives have been used in food for centuries—by both ancient civilizations and modern societies. Even in our high-tech, synthetic age, bug-based ingredients are still hiding in plain sight—often right on your grocery shelf.

Most of us would rather not think about it... but let’s take a closer look at what’s actually in our food.

🎨 The Crimson Culprit: Carmine Dye

Also known as:

Carminic acid, Cochineal, Carmine 40, E120, Crimson Lake, Natural Red 4, CI 75470

🔬 What it is:

A bright red, pink, or purple dye made by crushing female beetles (Dactylopius coccus)—native to South America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olryANCkNG0

🧪 Where it hides:

• Strawberry yogurt

• Pink grapefruit juice

• Candy coatings

• Frozen meals

• Shampoo

• Even textiles!

📛 Labels may say “natural,” but ... Carmine is not vegan or kosher, even though it’s FDA-approved and exempt from certification.

🍬 Shiny Candy? Thank the Lac Bug

Confectioner’s glaze, also commonly known as Shellac

Also called: Confectioner’s glaze, Shellac, Candy glaze, Glazing agent, E904

🐞 What it is:

A glossy coating made from resin secreted by female lac bugs (Kerria lacca) in the tropical forests of India and Thailand.

🧰 How it’s made:

The resin is scraped off trees, purified, dried, and flaked into food-grade shellac.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VvLjZZccM

✨ Where does shellac show up in food items:

• Jelly beans (yes, even Jelly Bellies)

• Gumballs

• Mints

• Shiny apples

• Chex Mix

🏠 Also found in:

Cosmetics, furniture polish, and wood floor finishes!

🍯 Bee Products: Sweet—but Still Insect-Derived

🐝 Made by bees, not plants:

• Honey – A natural sweetener with antibacterial properties

• Beeswax – Used to coat fruit, candies, and in beauty products

• Royal Jelly – A nutrient-rich substance sold as a health supplement

💡 These products are natural—but still come straight from insects.

🪳 The FDA Allows Insect Fragments in Food

Based on the FDA’s Food Defect Action Levels guidelines, a certain amount of insect fragments is legally allowed in the foods we eat.

Source: FDA’s Food Defect Action Levels Handbook

👀 Everyday Foods That May Contain Bugs:

• Tomato paste

• Peanut butter

• Wheat flour

• Spices like ground paprika and oregano

• Dried fruit

• Chocolate

Why Does the FDA Allow These Levels?

Most agricultural products are grown outdoors where they are naturally exposed to insects. Despite washing and modern food-processing methods, it is impossible to remove every insect, insect fragment, egg, or larva from large quantities of food.

For this reason, the FDA establishes Defect Action Levels—regulatory thresholds that recognize small amounts of unavoidable natural contamination may remain even when foods are produced using good agricultural and manufacturing practices.

These limits are enforcement thresholds used by the FDA to determine when a product contains excessive contamination and may be considered adulterated.

📉 On average, Americans unknowingly consume 1–2 pounds of insects each year! (Source: Scientific American)

In Conclusion...

Many common foods contain insect-derived ingredients like carmine (crushed beetles) and shellac (lac bug resin). Even trace insect fragments are legally allowed by the FDA in items like pasta, raisins, and chocolate. While often labeled "natural," these ingredients aren't vegan or kosher—and most of us consume them without even knowing it.