You Probably Eat a Pound or Two of Bugs Per Year
Let's look at what the typical American eats without recognizing it as a small palette cleanser since not everything you consume in a year is done so consciously. Federal food regulations provide some leeway and specify what can and cannot be added to the food we eat. There is an acceptable threshold for bugs that end up in the food you eat, for example, even though no one wants to eat bugs and it is practically impossible to guarantee that food won't contain bugs.
According to one estimate, you consume two pounds or so of various types of bugs annually. Although that may sound terrifying, that is the right number. It only gets worse when you learn what the FDA permits. There can be up to 225 bug bits in pasta. There may be 33 fruit fly eggs in a box of raisins. Do you have a can of mushrooms in your cabinet?
It may include as many as 19 maggots. Be advised that there may be 13 insect heads in every 100 grams of fig paste if you feel moved to eat it at any moment. Check out the FDA's complete list for a fun read. It tells you how many bugs, mold, rotten food, rat hair, and mammalian excrement can be found in any given food product.
