What happens if you eat a cockroach?

You are eating snacks in the dark, and you feel something crunch. It is half a cockroach. What happens next? In this video we follow a cockroach through your body, from your mouth to your gut. We look at what scientists found living on these insects, the hidden allergy link between cockroaches and shrimp, and what really happened in the Florida bug-eating contest in 2012. We also look at cockroach farms in China, bust common myths, and finish with a clear step-by-step plan for what to do if it ever happens to you. This video is general information, not medical advice. If you have trouble breathing, swelling, or severe symptoms, contact emergency services. Subscribe for a new video every week, and tell me in the comments: have you ever accidentally eaten something you shouldn’t have? Sources Study of bacteria and parasites carried by German cockroaches in a hospital, restaurants and houses in Dhaka, Bangladesh Study of parasites and bacteria in American cockroaches from student hostel toilets, University of Jos, Nigeria US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella information (symptom timing and recovery) McGill University review on shellfish allergy and cross-reactivity with insects (tropomyosin and arginine kinase) Published case report of anaphylaxis after eating cricket powder in a shellfish-allergic patient 2025 study on dust mite sensitisation and reactions to edible insects in subtropical regions Broward County Medical Examiner findings and news reports on the death of Edward Archbold, Deerfield Beach, Florida (2012) AFP report (2019) on cockroach farming in Yibin, Sichuan, and the Gooddoctor Pharmaceutical Group in Xichang Li Shizhen, Compendium of Materia Medica (late sixteenth century) United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), reports on edible insects #Cockroach #FoodSafety #Health #Insects #EdibleInsects #FoodFacts #Science #Allergy #BugFacts #Facts