Parmesan cheese
We won’t beat about the bush: Parmesan cheese is made from juices found in baby cows’ stomachs. The cheese is created from cow’s milk, then aged for 12 months, with ingredients such as rennet and whey added to the mix – rennet being an enzyme that’s taken from the fourth stomach of an unweaned calf. Gross.
Gummy bears
Delicious as they may be, gummy bears hide a gross secret. A key ingredient in these delicious candies is gelatin, which derives from cattle bones, pig skin, and cattle hide. Thankfully, many candy companies are starting to offer vegan alternatives, boasting the same great taste – without the yucky ingredients.
Hot dogs
Hot dogs are an alluring snack for when you’re on the go. Their contents, however, may make you think twice before you next reach for this fast food. The meat comes from different leftover cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. Essentially, manufacturers grind down and combine all of the animal parts the butcher didn’t deem worthy of selling solo.
Figs
Figs are seemingly a delicious, innocent fruit, right? While they are indeed healthy and colorful, they harbor a dark secret… Wasps spend their larvae stage within its skin. If the fig is male, a wasp will climb its way inside and lay its eggs. If the fruit is female, a wasp will sneak inside and pollinate the fig, but die within its fruity prison.
Ground beef
The process of making ground beef is enough to turn your stomach. The cows are stunned and slaughtered, and their internal organs are then pulled from their bodies. The carcass is then cut in half and hung in a chiller, where it’s sprayed with chemicals before being ground up into the meat we consume.
Jelly beans
Jelly beans are tasty, colorful, and oh-so shiny. Unfortunately, that sleek shine is derived from shellac, a resin secreted by female bugs after they drink tree sap. In other words, every time you eat a jelly bean, you’re eating a small trace of bug poop. Yuck.
Kebabs
Although doner kebabs may taste delicious, their ingredients may not be. The late-night staple is made from leftover scraps of meat – including facial muscles and sinew (tissues that attach muscle to bone). Scooped up and bunched together, the meat is then molded into one big slab before being slowly cooked.
Oregano
Oregano is an extremely versatile herb and staple ingredient in any kitchen. If you’re an arachnophobe, however, you may want to switch to another seasoning. Spider mites are fond of invading oregano plants, sucking the juices out from their leaves. Maybe give the plant an extra wash before you add it to your next dish.
Berries
Berries are an easy way to add nutrients and vitamins to your diet. Regrettably, you often get more than you bargain for when you sprinkle these sweet fruits on your breakfast cereal, as they contain roughly four insect larvae in every 100 grams that you consume.
Chicken nuggets
To make chicken nuggets, the breast is stripped away from the chicken, before being trimmed. The breasts are then ground up and blended, with chicken skin other offcuts being added to the mix. As tempting as they may be as a late-night snack, the inclusion of icky chicken bits is enough to put anyone off.