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There are bugs in your candy

Categories: Candy,Candy News,Gross Candy


No, this isn’t a post about candy with bugs in it – well, not like you think anyway. Over at Instructables, a user named oskay has posted a tutorial called “How to eat fewer insects” that shows you how to tell if your candy has bug ingredients in it. It’s pretty startling if you have never heard of this before. Some ingredients in candy are actually made from insects!

The tutorial shows you what ingredients are actually bugs and how to spot them. He uses many common candies like Nerds and Good N Plenty to illustrate his point. Carmine and many “glazes” are actually made from bugs and they are used in many candies. Yes, it’s creepy to think that I’ve been eating bug parts all these years, but is it going to change my candy-eating habits? Nope. Bring on the bugs!

candy, sweets, bug, bugs, insect, insects

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13 Responses to “There are bugs in your candy”

  1. 1
    andy says:

    yeah, it’s really not so bad. Carmine is a pigment that is derived from an insect, but you don’t actually eat the insect (despite what that site implies). Also, “confectioners wax” is produced by an insect, but again you’re not eating the insect itself. And proportionally the amounts are so small. You’re probably eating more insect matter when you have a salad.

    And you could play this type of game with anything and make it sound gross.


    Did you know that honey is secreted by… an insect!? Oh how gross!

    Did you know that fruit is… the ripened ovary of a plant!? Disgusting!

    I’m with you. Pass the Nerds.

    Love the site!

  2. 2
    cybele says:

    Hey, at least carmine is usually labeled (and it’s not the whole ground up insect, it’s like a “bug tea”).

    Take a look at the acceptable levels of insect and rodent hairs allowed in our foods by the FDA:


  3. 3
    nicoleloveshim says:

    this is gross but still i love candy

  4. 4
    Trish says:

    Ack. I just had an image of someone drinking a cup of bug tea and a teapot filled with the stuff and bugs floating in it *shudder*.

    Anyway, knowing that some ingredients are derived from or secreted by bugs isn’t all that gross. I am a candy addict after all.

  5. 5
    Patty H. says:

    one ingredient in making lipstick is FISH SCALE

  6. 6
    pragmatic says:

    Carmine is a widely used in dye and colourant in cosmetics, food and beverages because it is approved by the FDA and as it is a proven SAFE alternative to synthetic dyes which are toxic and may cause cancer.

    If you look up how carmine is derived from the actual bugs and its history, it’s really quite interesting. Wikipedia has a cool article about it.

  7. 7
    Nabin says:

    My friend just gave me one candy and it really has a bug in it.

    Am leaving a googled photo of one here and link to the homepage of the makers :

    - http://www.blogcadre.com/files/images/candy_0.jpg

    - http://www.hotlix.com/insect_candy/insect_candy.html

  8. 8
    Jaime says:

    I would rather them color our food with carmine instead of Red dye #3 which is linked to thyroid tumors. My son has thyroid cancer and that is one of the colorings that we have to stay away from! Bugs are Yum!!!

  9. 9
    seo philippines says:


  10. 10
    pineygreen says:

    My nana once found bugs in her peanuts. She didn’t take them back to the store, because she was afraid she might find more bugs in the peanuts.(but she did call the store about the bugs.)

  11. 11
    pineygreen says:

    My nana once found bugs in her peanuts.But she didn’t take them back to the store,because she afaid she might find more bugs in her peanuts.She called the store to tell them about the bugs.I’m not sure what happend after that.

  12. 12
    pineygreen says:

    I heard about a family that once found bugs in there energybars.I don’t know what kind it was.And I don’t know what happend after that.

  13. 13
    lol says:


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