STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Ewww…Cockroach Milk Could Become the Next Big Superfood

Research says the insect liquid is high in protein so...drink up?

First it was skim milk and then soy and then almond and now the new rage could be…cockroach milk.

Yes, you read that right. 

A recent study published in the journal IUCrJ found that milk from lactating Pacific beetle cockroaches might be our culture’s next big superfood.

Cue the apocalypse (J/K, because cockroaches could survive that).

According to researchers, these specific cockroaches are one of few insects that have live births instead of laying eggs. As part of that process, they produce milk to feed their young; nutritious milk that is high in protein, helps the body produce tons of energy and has a multitude of healthy amino acids. It’s so good that you might want to gulp some to help recover after your boot camp class, Huffington Post noted.

Now before you have a Fear Factor freak out, this will not be at your local Trader Joe’s anytime soon since it’s not ready for human consumption just yet. Plus, even if the milk were to reach store shelves, it wouldn’t really be made from roaches, but come from bioengineered yeast that mimics the milk structure, the Washington Post stressed.

“I don’t think anyone is going to like it if you tell them, ‘We extracted crystals from a cockroach and that is going to be food,’” said Subramanian Ramaswamy, the lead author of the study.

Ummm, duh?

We don’t know about you, but yeast or not, we’re perfectly happy getting our daily dose of protein from eggs, chicken and Greek yogurt.

What about you? Would you drink roach milk?

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.