You Don't Know You're Eating

8 Bugs You Don't Know You're Eating

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

I'm a big proponent of protein. Eggs for breakfast, grilled chicken for lunch, lightly seared filet of salmon for dinner—I can't get enough. But even I have a limit, and that limit generally begins about the time I see exoskeletons, tentacles, pinchers, or stingers sticking out of my food.

I realize that in some parts of the world, bugs are considered a reliable source of protein. But the people who eat those bugs do so willingly. It's a normal part of their diet. Here in the United States, we're pretty squeamish about chomping into insects or stabbing our forks into larvae. And that's why it might come as a shock to discover that, because of the FDA's lax food-safety regulations, your food might very well be crawling with creepy, slimy, buzzing things of all sorts. In fact, it's been estimated that the average person unintentionally eats a pound of insects every year. And I'm not talking about gummy worms here. I'm talking about real live (or formerly live) bugs.

With the help of Rodale.com writer Emily Main, we've identified a few of the more disgusting bugs infiltrating your food. Prepare to be grossed out.

Thrips

At anywhere from 1/25 to 1/8 of an inch long, these tiny little winged parasites are legally allowed in apple butter, canned or frozen asparagus, frozen broccoli, and frozen Brussels sprouts. 

Aphids

Those same little green or black bugs that can destroy a bouquet of flowers can infiltrate your frozen veggies, particularly spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. And if you home-brew beer, you might consider growing your own hops: The FDA legally allows 2,500 aphids for every 10 grams of hops.

LENIENT LEGISLATORS: Pest control isn't the only area where the FDA is lax—many food-packaging claims are entirely unregulated by the government! Don't believe it? Take a look at the 

9 "Natural" Cereals That Aren't. 

Mites

These tiny white bugs are common in wheat and other grains that have been stored for a while, but expect to eat a few with your frozen vegetables. And if you have indoor allergies, that could be a problem. Storage and grain mites can cause the same type of allergic reaction as the dust mites common in homes.

Maggots

If you’ve ever eaten canned food, you’ve probably also eaten a maggot. These disgusting little critters abound in things like canned mushrooms, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and pizza sauces, as well as fresh or frozen Maraschino cherries. Mushrooms are by far the worst: 20 maggots are allowed for every 100 grams of drained mushrooms, compared with between 1 and 5 for every 500 grams of tomato products.

SCARIEST FOOD ADDITIVES: Some gross ingredients, like bugs, are supposed to be removed from food. Others, like the 15 Scariest Food Additives, should never be added in the first place. 

Fruit Flies

Buy a piece of fruit covered in fruit flies, and you can wash them off. Buy a can of citrus juice, and you’ll be swilling five fruit flies with every 8-ounce cup of juice. Grab an 8-ounce handful of raisins and you could be eating as many as 35 fruit-fly eggs.

Not sure how to pick the best produce? No problem. Master the Produce Aisle and you'll know what, when, and where to buy all year-round. 

Corn Ear Worms

Corn is notoriously difficult to grow organically, because it’s prone to insect infestations. But in most cases, it’s easy to avoid eating the earworms that burrow into corncobs and eat the silk—just cut the kernels off the cob, and voilà! However, canned sweet corn will come with some extra crunch from all the larvae, skins, and skin fragments allowed by the FDA. 

CHUCK BOMBS: If bugs don't scare you, maybe this will: Applebee's Quesadilla Burger has more than 1,200 calories! And that's not even the worst we found! Check out our complete list of the 

15 Worst Burgers in America!

Cowpea curculio

Love black-eyed peas? Buy them dried and cook them yourself, rather than buying them frozen or canned. A can of black-eyed peas, cowpeas, or field peas may contain an average of five or more cowpea curculio larvae, which will grow into dark brown, beetle-like weevils that infest all manner of peas and beans. 

Caterpillars

Fuzzy, ugly caterpillars are supposed to turn into beautiful butterflies for people to marvel at—not eat in a mouthful of frozen spinach. But along with the 50 or so aphids, mites, and thrips allowed in 100 grams of spinach, you may also find yourself munching on caterpillar larvae and larval fragments. Mmm . . . probably not what was giving Popeye all that strength.

For more help navigating those increasingly confusing supermarket aisles, check out the 125 Best Supermarket Foods in America and pick up a copy of the all-newEat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide.