We eat insects without knowing it

chris_miles1 · 11-12-2013, 11:20

Well this has made me feel a little sick.

The infographic on this blog post says that we already eat cochineal beetles and shellac bugs..

I wonder how many bugs we've actually eaten in our lifetime (considering there are 1.4 billion insects to one person on the planet)...

Pumping Iron · 11-12-2013, 12:06

I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO.

degsyhufc · 11-12-2013, 14:11

There are industry standards as to which insects and what amount of them can be allowed in food production.

We eat a lot of them, or parts of them, without knowing.

Jambo_c · 11-12-2013, 14:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumping Iron

I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO.

I agree with this. I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe. I'm sure some insects would be very tasty.

Hayley_baby · 11-12-2013, 14:49

Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too

Pumping Iron · 11-12-2013, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jambo_c

I agree with this. I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe. I'm sure some insects would be very tasty.

Likewise, I'd try anything, as long as it was hygienic.

walterwhite · 11-12-2013, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayley_baby

Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too

I think that one is a bit of an urban legend.

LaceyLouelle3 · 11-12-2013, 16:06

I don't see the problem with it.

xp95 · 11-12-2013, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumping Iron

I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO.

^This.

Shrike · 11-12-2013, 16:52

I saw grubs and grass hoppers for sale in Thailand. I would've given them a go, but never saw any locals eating them - so erred on the side of caution!

Pumping Iron · 11-12-2013, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by xp95

^This.

I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails!

I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family.

degsyhufc · 11-12-2013, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumping Iron

I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails!

I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family.

Hugh FW said the same in one of his really early programmes.

xp95 · 11-12-2013, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumping Iron

I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails!

I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family.

I've eaten fried snails before.

solenoid · 11-12-2013, 23:12

Only by consent. For example, last week a cockroach walked onto my dinner plate and stopped. I had no choice but to add it to my fork, dip it in HP Sauce and consume within seconds.

brb · 13-12-2013, 08:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayley_baby

Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterwhite

I think that one is a bit of an urban legend.

Yup, and numbers vary a fair bit. I once read it was around 5 spiders a YEAR!

Meh

xp95 · 13-12-2013, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by solenoid

Only by consent. For example, last week a cockroach walked onto my dinner plate and stopped. I had no choice but to add it to my fork, dip it in HP Sauce and consume within seconds.

What was to stop you taking it off the plate?

Serenity Now · 13-12-2013, 17:43

I really went off peanut butter when I read somewhere that manufactures were allowed to include a certain amount of insect matter and still be passed safe to eat. However I happily eat various types of seafood that are closely related to insects and would have no problem with eating snails if they were served with plenty of garlic butter.

maggie thecat · 13-12-2013, 21:18

All grain products have a little *extra * protein courtesy of grain moths and the like. It's the nature of the product. Same for beans and peas. Or anything off the land that's warehoused. Of course they do what they can to sterilise, irradiate etc, but even if it's dead it's still a bug.

xp95 · 14-12-2013, 21:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

I really went off peanut butter when I read somewhere that manufactures were allowed to include a certain amount of insect matter and still be passed safe to eat. However I happily eat various types of seafood that are closely related to insects and would have no problem with eating snails if they were served with plenty of garlic butter.

The fried snail I had was served with garlic butter, and lots of it too!

Toby LaRhone · 14-12-2013, 22:59

Any serious cyclist eats scores of flying insects per session.
I once had to stop to gag up a whopper.
It actually flew away.

I've voluntarily eaten all sorts including a cuddly guinea pig - cooked of course.

Hypnodisc · 15-12-2013, 02:57

I must admit I already knew this..

Aren't half the Smarties colourings obtained by crushing up beetles or something?

Richie Freebird · 16-12-2013, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jambo_c

I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe

I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else.

I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam.

Pumping Iron · 16-12-2013, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richie Freebird

I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else.

I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam.

True. I wouldn't choose to eat anything critically endangered, but if farmed for human consumption, I'd give anything a go.

Jambo_c · 17-12-2013, 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richie Freebird

I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else.

I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam.

I can see where you're coming from with the elephant and gorilla thing but to be honest if someone gave me a plate with elephant or gorilla on it I'd give it a try. It's already dead at the end of the day, if I didn't eat it it's not going to come back to life!

I like the idea of buying exotic meats but I'm always a bit dubious about the quality from those specialist websites.

11-12-2013, 11:20	#1
chris_miles1 Forum Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 55	We eat insects without knowing it Well this has made me feel a little sick. The infographic on this blog post says that we already eat cochineal beetles and shellac bugs.. I wonder how many bugs we've actually eaten in our lifetime (considering there are 1.4 billion insects to one person on the planet)...

11-12-2013, 12:06	#2
Pumping Iron Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 22,988	I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO.

11-12-2013, 14:11	#3
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	There are industry standards as to which insects and what amount of them can be allowed in food production. We eat a lot of them, or parts of them, without knowing.

11-12-2013, 14:30	#4
Jambo_c Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3,721	Quote: Originally Posted by Pumping Iron I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO. I agree with this. I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe. I'm sure some insects would be very tasty.

11-12-2013, 14:49	#5
Hayley_baby Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 8,183	Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too

11-12-2013, 15:01	#6
Pumping Iron Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 22,988	Quote: Originally Posted by Jambo_c I agree with this. I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe. I'm sure some insects would be very tasty. Likewise, I'd try anything, as long as it was hygienic.

11-12-2013, 15:05	#7
walterwhite Forum Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 21,729	Quote: Originally Posted by Hayley_baby Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too I think that one is a bit of an urban legend.

11-12-2013, 16:06	#8
LaceyLouelle3 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 6,104	I don't see the problem with it.

11-12-2013, 16:18	#9
xp95 Inactive Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: At the bottom of the staircase Posts: 2,406	Quote: Originally Posted by Pumping Iron I'd eat them with knowing it if they stocked them in the UK. Some are meant to be pretty tasty. No different to eating shrimp/prawns IMO. ^This.

11-12-2013, 16:52	#10
Shrike Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nottingham Posts: 11,480	I saw grubs and grass hoppers for sale in Thailand. I would've given them a go, but never saw any locals eating them - so erred on the side of caution!

11-12-2013, 17:24	#11
Pumping Iron Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 22,988	Quote: Originally Posted by xp95 ^This. I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails! I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family.

11-12-2013, 17:56	#12
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	Quote: Originally Posted by Pumping Iron I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails! I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family. Hugh FW said the same in one of his really early programmes.

11-12-2013, 22:41	#13
xp95 Inactive Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: At the bottom of the staircase Posts: 2,406	Quote: Originally Posted by Pumping Iron I've eaten snails and lots of other types of shellfish, you can't really get more gross looking than snails! I've heard woodlice tastes like prawns (Bear Grylls I think) which is no surprise as they are from the same family. I've eaten fried snails before.

11-12-2013, 23:12	#14
solenoid Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 14,764	Only by consent. For example, last week a cockroach walked onto my dinner plate and stopped. I had no choice but to add it to my fork, dip it in HP Sauce and consume within seconds.

13-12-2013, 08:31	#15
brb Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: #teamHELEN Posts: 21,549	Quote: Originally Posted by Hayley_baby Apparently we also eat 4 spiders in are life time too Quote: Originally Posted by walterwhite I think that one is a bit of an urban legend. Yup, and numbers vary a fair bit. I once read it was around 5 spiders a YEAR! Meh

13-12-2013, 11:17	#16
xp95 Inactive Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: At the bottom of the staircase Posts: 2,406	Quote: Originally Posted by solenoid Only by consent. For example, last week a cockroach walked onto my dinner plate and stopped. I had no choice but to add it to my fork, dip it in HP Sauce and consume within seconds. What was to stop you taking it off the plate?

13-12-2013, 17:43	#17
Serenity Now Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 46	I really went off peanut butter when I read somewhere that manufactures were allowed to include a certain amount of insect matter and still be passed safe to eat. However I happily eat various types of seafood that are closely related to insects and would have no problem with eating snails if they were served with plenty of garlic butter.

13-12-2013, 21:18	#18
maggie thecat Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 962	All grain products have a little extra protein courtesy of grain moths and the like. It's the nature of the product. Same for beans and peas. Or anything off the land that's warehoused. Of course they do what they can to sterilise, irradiate etc, but even if it's dead it's still a bug.

14-12-2013, 21:13	#19
xp95 Inactive Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: At the bottom of the staircase Posts: 2,406	Quote: Originally Posted by Serenity Now I really went off peanut butter when I read somewhere that manufactures were allowed to include a certain amount of insect matter and still be passed safe to eat. However I happily eat various types of seafood that are closely related to insects and would have no problem with eating snails if they were served with plenty of garlic butter. The fried snail I had was served with garlic butter, and lots of it too!

14-12-2013, 22:59	#20
Toby LaRhone Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 9,227	Any serious cyclist eats scores of flying insects per session. I once had to stop to gag up a whopper. It actually flew away. I've voluntarily eaten all sorts including a cuddly guinea pig - cooked of course.

15-12-2013, 02:57	#21
Hypnodisc Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 21,375	I must admit I already knew this.. Aren't half the Smarties colourings obtained by crushing up beetles or something?

DS Forums

We eat insects without knowing it

16-12-2013, 17:21	#22
Richie Freebird Forum Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Barrow Island Posts: 10	Quote: Originally Posted by Jambo_c I don't think there's an animal I wouldn't eat provided it's safe I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else. I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam.

16-12-2013, 18:28	#23
Pumping Iron Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 22,988	Quote: Originally Posted by Richie Freebird I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else. I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam. True. I wouldn't choose to eat anything critically endangered, but if farmed for human consumption, I'd give anything a go.

17-12-2013, 08:16	#24
Jambo_c Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3,721	Quote: Originally Posted by Richie Freebird I had this conversation a while ago during the height of the horse meat scandal. I concluded that I'd probably not eat a gorilla or and elephant, but pretty much anything else. I've had zebra, which was amazing. I wouldn't mind eating snake and all. I saw some documentaries a while ago showing snake meat as a popular dish in Vietnam. I can see where you're coming from with the elephant and gorilla thing but to be honest if someone gave me a plate with elephant or gorilla on it I'd give it a try. It's already dead at the end of the day, if I didn't eat it it's not going to come back to life! I like the idea of buying exotic meats but I'm always a bit dubious about the quality from those specialist websites.