Heck, you might as well, because ground coffee is already full of bug fragments and Iโm not kidding. I wish I was, though.
If youโre wondering how thatโs possible, please, allow me to explain. I did a little research and discovered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes allowances for a certain amount of bugs and bug bits in our food; theyโre vaguely labeled as โunavoidable defects.โ And theyโre not just in coffee, either. Bugs are everywhere and in all kinds of foods โ from peanut butter to frozen broccoli. Even chocolate. Surprise, right?
Iโd no idea such a policy existed until I fished a gnat out of my morning coffee and faced a prickly conundrum: should I drink it or pour it out? Well, coffeeโs pricey; I drank it. Oh, what, you wouldnโt? I took the bug out first, a teeny-weeny thing just a little bigger than the period ending this sentence. I didnโt see the harm and, look, here I am. Alive and kicking.
Of course, me being me, I obsessed about the side-effects of ingesting a bug-contaminated beverage. Eventually, I achieved full panic mode and fled to google to do a search using โswallowed a bugโ or some such dopey phrase. As it always does, one result led to another until I found a horrifying graphic detailing the precise number of bugs an average person consumes in one short year โ broken down by food product. And now Iโm seriously considering the purchase of a coffee grinder. Check this out:
The good news is, thereโs no real reason to despair. The FDA keeps a tight cap on the number of insects allowed in our food. However, they do add up. But, on the positive side, bugs donโt affect the quality of your food and you canโt even taste them, so try to put it out of your mind. Besides, there are many people who advocate the eating of insects, because theyโre a sustainable source of protein and donโt have much impact on the environment when theyโre farmed. Just FYI.
Even so, Iโll stick with the cookies, thank you.
17 responses to “: if a bug drowns in your coffee, should you still drink it? :”
Nice piece
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Why, thanks, thatโs kind of you ๐
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Back in the olden days, when I was a kid, we played outside and ate dirt, bugs, worms, etc. Sometimes on purpose. It was our way of building up our immune system I’m told. Now they do it with antibiotics. There is probably bugs in those too.
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Arenโt you glad we grew up in the old days? The lack of entertainment forced us to find our own fun, which โ now that I think of it โ Iโm lucky to have survived. Playing in traffic and jumping off stuff were my favorites.
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So that’s how us vegans get our proteins? Hahaha I’m grinding my own beans ๐ ๐
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Smart girl ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
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I have to confess to scooping out drowning bugs from my coffee/tea on a leaf and then finishing the drink. I always end up feeling so sad for the poor little bug. :(
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I know how exactly you feel. Sadly, thereโs no CPR for ๐ทs! I checked.
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You mean I might be accidentally ingesting some free extra protein? Sounds good to me! :D
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Bottoms up โ๏ธโฃ๏ธ
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Bugs are good for you, you know, just make sure you cook ’em first. ๐
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I like mine grated and sprinkled on top of spaghetti, like parmesan ๐
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I read about the number of insect parts allowed in food before. I, personally, would fish the but out and drink on, unless it was a large moth or something with powdery wings
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Yeah, ew ๐คฎ
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Reblogged this on Stephen Page.
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yes, i prefer the cookies as well )
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Let them eat bugs. You and I will stick together against the insanity ๐
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