Tay drank coffee every day for years before she found out what was really inside it. The scale insect cochineal, crushed into a deep red dye, had been turning up in her morning brew without her knowing. She went to the doctor with persistent digestive problems, and experts suspected everything from Crohn’s disease to a gluten allergy. Then her doctor pointed at the cup.
The ingredient list on Tay’s TikTok post revealed the source of her discomfort. Cochineal, a scale bug that lives on cacti, gets pressed into food coloring. It shows up as carmine, crimson lake, or Natural Red 4 on labels. In coffee, it is a tolerated presence — the FDA allows up to 10 percent of green coffee beans to be insect-infested or damaged.
What the FDA permits
The threshold applies to more than just cochineal. The coffee berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei) and its debris, droppings, shed skin, and other remnants are all within the rules. So is the coffee bean weevil (Araecerus fasciculatus), which can get into beans during storage. The warehouse beetle (Trogoderma variabile), which feeds on stored food products, is another potential offender.
Cockroaches, however, are a different matter. They are not allowed. A 2002 compliance guide published by the FDA says cockroaches are not included among the insects permitted in green coffee beans. When asked directly, an FDA spokesperson confirmed it: “To be clear, cockroaches are not allowed in coffee.”
Why cockroaches remain a rumor
The rumor mill had a reason for cockroaches. Roaches are drawn to dark, warm, humid conditions. People speculated that the insects were attracted to the aroma of coffee. But evidence of cockroaches in coffee is limited.
FDA testing of coffee has found evidence of insects, but not specifically cockroaches, according to Snopes, a well-regarded fact-checking website. Some experts have suggested that caffeine and coffee’s acidity may be harmful to roaches.
Netizens react
The news drew a mixed response online. One approving X user wrote, “I eat shrimp, crayfish, crabs, etc. I’ve had snails and tasted fried crickets…so bring on the cochineal. Earthy.” Another quipped, “Same thing I say when a fruit fly kamikazes itself into my bourbon: ‘Good protein.'” A third noted, “Oh, there are worse things. Castoreum, an orange-brown secretion from beavers used in perfume making, for example.”
Those opposed to the presence of insects were equally vocal. One asked, “How are y’all calling ground up insect juices in our food yummy?” Another wrote, “I will read ingredients list like a maniac now.”
The takeaway is simple: coffee is not pure. It is a product of farms, processing plants, and storage bins, and tiny unwanted particles sometimes end up in the final cup. The FDA has thresholds for some of these unwelcome additions, and cochineal is one of them.
| Threshold | Maximum allowed |
|---|---|
| Green coffee beans infested or damaged | Up to 10 percent |
- Cochineal, a scale bug, is a tolerated presence in coffee
- Cockroaches are explicitly not allowed in coffee
- FDA testing has found insects in coffee but not specifically cockroaches
- Beavers produce castoreum, used in perfume, which one commenter called worse than cochineal
The story is a reminder that the familiar cup carries more than it looks like. It is also a reminder that the FDA sets limits on what is technically allowed.
Source material: “Your Morning Coffee May Contain Something Disturbing, And The FDA Says It’s Technically Allowed,” Bored Panda.
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