FOOD NEWS
There's A Creepy-Crawly Fact About Pre-Ground Coffee Beans To Know
By Jessica Fleming-Montoya
Pre-ground coffee is a convenient and affordable way to prepare coffee, but in a 2009 NPR interview, guest Douglas Emlen mentioned that it might contain cockroaches.
Cockroaches, who aren't picky eaters, may be attracted to piles of coffee in warehouses before it gets ground, packaged, and sent to supermarkets.
Emlen claimed that the result is that your morning brew may contain ground-up cockroaches. However, upon closer inspection, this may have been more hype than fact.
According to Ja-Roy Pest Control, which monitors several major U.S. coffee companies, they have yet to see these insects in coffee processing facilities.
Cockroaches may be drawn to the smell of coffee beans, but these critters may find the taste of coffee unappetizing. They're more likely to seek out other foodstuffs.
The FDA also has strict guidelines for pests that have to be kept out of food products. So, coffee manufacturers must ensure critters aren't enjoying the coffee before you do.