Although concern is growing around the introduction of insects to human food, some may be bugged to learn the crunchy critters have been used in our food for decades..Not only are insects considered to be a "sustainable protein," they can also be a significant source of zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin A, according to a 2013 blog by Layla Eplett who has a masters in Social Anthropology of Development from the University of London and contributes for Scientific American..According to Eplett, on average a person likely "ingests about one to two pounds of flies, maggots, and other bugs each year without even knowing it.".In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits certain amounts of bugs in foods. The Food Defect Action Levels determines the permissible amount of bugs allowed in foods. For example, pasta can contain an average of 225 insect fragments or more per 225 grams and one cup of raisins can contain up to 33 fruit fly eggs..According to a Reader's Digest article published in May 2022, a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter may have up to 136 insect parts before it is considered contaminated..You could find up to 74 insect and cockroach fragments in the average 4.4-ounce bar of chocolate. Coffee lovers could be consuming 120 insect parts in their daily cup of joe..The FDA's allowable limit of aphids in frozen broccoli is 60 per 100 grams, and in cinnamon, up to 400 insect fragments are permitted per quarter-cup..Fruit juice can contain pieces of maggots, mites, or snails. Ground pepper can contain up to 475 bug parts per quarter-cup and still be considered safe to eat..Smoothie lovers could be eating up to four worm or beetle larvae or 10 full insects in approximately two and-a-half cups of berries..FDA approved and generally considered safe for humans, insects have been slipped into our food for decades, used as colourants, confectionery glaze, and added protein..Cochineal insects — from the beetle family — have long been used as a red colouring for juices, jams, yogurt, tomato products and other foods requiring a red dye..The beetles are cooked or boiled, dried, and ground up to make a red dye that is added to many foods. Look for the ingredient "carmine" or "cochineal" or it could be listed as "natural red four" or "crimson lake" on the food labels..Colourful candies like jellybeans can sometimes be coated with "shellac" — a sticky secretion from the Kerria lacca insect..Also used to coat fruits, coffee beans, and other foods to give them a sheen, the coating is listed as "confectioner's glaze" on food labels..According to the World Economic Forum — which states the planet is facing an "impending food crisis" — based on projections that indicate the world's population will increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, insects can offer a sustainable alternative to the consumption of animal protein..Roughly 80% of the world's population — much of Asia, Africa and South and Central America — eat bugs..Although many bugs are considered to be a great source of nutrients, according to Crickster — an advocacy website dedicated to encouraging the use of bugs for human consumption — "very little is known about how they might affect our bodies.".According to a study posted on the website, insects have the same capacity to trigger allergic reactions, similar to crustaceans like shrimp and lobster..Insects also tend to feed on decaying matter which is full of bacteria and have been found carrying parasites that can be harmful, if not deadly. The exoskeleton, or a bug’s outer shell, can also contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid, tannins, and lectins.
