Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
March 10, 2024 ·  7 min read

25 Stomach-Churning Food Moments That Will Kill Your Appetite

Food is a basic necessity, and we cannot function without it. We would like it to be appealing, in both taste and appearance. Sometimes, food doesn’t look all that appetizing, but we eat it anyway. You might be pressed for time or just not in the mood to look for anything else. BUT SOMETIMES, we may encounter one of these 25 food moments that will immediately make us panic. There is no amount of convincing that would make you want to eat a morsel of what you are about to see. Prepare for a stomach-churning experience.

1. A Problem Down The Chain

Image Credits: Reddit

For one Redditor, it was just a normal after-work snack, when he found something grotesque embedded inside it. This is a McDonald’s hash brown with something that looks like a moth fried with it. Fortunately, OP did not start eating from that side and noticed it before it was too late.

2. Grainy Cereal

Image Credits: Reddit

This time around, OP apparently did eat a few spoonfuls of this insect-infested granola. As to its identity, a commenter explained that it was probably Oryzaephilus Surinamensis. They are apparently harmless insects even if consumed. However, the only way to get rid of them would be by throwing away every bit of dry food in the pantry.

3. Spider-Drink

Image Credits: Reddit

Although the picture looks fairly straightforward, the story behind it is quite horrifying. OP’s friend experienced this when they woke up in the middle of the night. In complete darkness, he had reached for the drink and felt something touch his lips when he sipped it. That’s when he turned on the torch to find this little bugger taking a bath.

4. Disgusting Grape

Image Credits: Reddit

It might look like a slightly aged grape, but look closer at the bottom. You will notice tiny leg-like appendages. Well, those are not exactly legs, but it should give you an idea about what this actually is. It’s a tick, and not just any tick – it’s a tick fully swollen with who knows what kind of blood.

5. An Un-sweet Chocolate

Image Credits: Reddit

According to OP, these are the remnants of a chocolate Santa. They had felt something stuck to their tongue when they looked closer to discover these “cobwebs.” However, a commenter pointed out that it is probably something worse – a moth larvae! This means that OP had to do a thorough investigation of their pantry as well.

6. Canned Surprise

Image Credits: Reddit

OP had been met with this disturbing sight when they had opened their can of sardines. OP was absolutely panicking because they had eaten a bit of it accidentally. Thankfully, this is actually pretty much a delicacy. Commenters explained that it is sardine roe or sardine eggs. There was probably a pregnant fish in the processing chain.

7. Not The Preferred Protein Source

Image Credits: Reddit

OP had just wanted to enjoy a stir-fry dish when they spotted this extra piece of protein. Fortunately, they had not begun to eat yet. We hope OP got a refund or the dish exchanged, at least. Sometimes, bonus stuff is really unwelcome, especially when it comes to food.

8. Nowhere Is Safe

Image Credits: Reddit

This is a picture from Georgia, and that is a fireman. Yes, a fireman. OP explained that this dead rat was found underneath the pantry of their brother’s fire station.

9. Small Intruders

Image Credits: Reddit

OP said they did not notice the tiny ants inside the packet until they finished it. To be fair, it took a good while for us to notice, too. Fortunately, ants shouldn’t be too much of a problem when ingested. However, it is a concern as to where they came from.

10. Exotic Delicacy

Image Credits: Reddit

OP was completely immersed in enjoying this dish in Thailand when he heard a crunch. By then, he could only find this small remnant of a grasshopper. However, this may not be too alarming since Thailand already considers grasshoppers to be quite a delicacy.

11. A Wiry Chicken

Image Credits: Reddit

OP had gotten chicken from a local food truck when there was a bone that was a bit different than the rest. When they examined it, they discovered it was a metal wire. It was a shocking discovery, to say the least.

12. Blown Out Of Proportion

Image Credits: Reddit

If it wasn’t clear already, the screw came out of the Blow Pop packaging. However, that did not faze OP from enjoying the sweet candy. We suppose because it wasn’t inside the candy itself, it was safe? Still, OP has a more robust stomach than many of us.

13. Black Widow’s New Headquarters

Image Credits: Shutterstock

A case that happened at least two times – the deadly black widow spider was found inside a bag of grapes. In one of the cases, “there were at least two”. The first case happened in 2015 in Troy, Michigan. The second case took place in Boston. In the former, the bag was purchased from Wal-Mart; in the second case, the bag was purchased from Whole Foods. Fortunately, neither case had any casualties or injuries.

14. Metallic Macaroni

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In England, in 2008, Rebecca Shorten had heated up a frozen Macaroni and Cheese dish purchased from Tesco. She had started eating when something hard fell in her mouth. That’s when she looked down to find two one-inch-long nails. Horrifyingly, she had already eaten the third one. She had to stay in the hospital till it passed. Needless to say, she never touched macaroni and cheese again.

15. A Stale Drink

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2009, Ronald Ball sued PepsiCo for allegedly finding a dead mouse in his Mountain Dew can. Later on, PepsiCo had scientifically shown that any dead mice would have long been liquified into a jelly if they ever managed to get inside a can. That was not an exactly reassuring statement either, with the matter being settled out of court.

16. Infested Oranges

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2014, Hassan Ali had purchased a bag of oranges from Sainsbury’s in West Yorkshire, England. Right after buying them, he and his coworkers ate three of them. However, it was only when he returned to the bag later on that he was greeted with a disgusting orange. Ali had broken it to find a strong rotting smell emanating and millions of little eggs reminiscent of larvae or maggots. He promptly disposed of it.

17. The Nastiest Cup Of Ice Cream

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2008, a pub in Sydney was accused of serving “frozen fecal matter” within a chocolate gelato that they had served to patrons after they had complained about the noise level inside. Ian McDonald, the then-Australian food minister, confirmed it to be true. The patrons were reportedly violently ill after the meal.

18. A Loaded Hotdog

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2004, Olivia Chanes visited the local Costco snack bar in California for a hot dog break. As he continued eating, she eventually bit something hard. She was horrified to discover it was a 9 mm bullet. However, it worsened as a later examination for abdominal pain revealed she had eaten another live bullet from that hot dog.

19. Bananas With A Sting

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2014, Angela Parren came across a scorpion inside a sealed banana packet. They were alive too. The incident took place in a supermarket chain in St. Stephen, Cornwall, England. Apparently, it had come all the way from Costa Rica – about 5000 miles away.

20. Desert With A Surprise Filling

Image Credits: Shutterstock

In 2011, Birmingham resident Anna Jones was appalled to find a live worm inside her slice of cake. It was not just a disgusting case, though, as it had a hint of humor to it. Anna had purchased the cake from Weight Watchers.

21. Writhing Sprinkles

Image Credits: Reddit

It should have been a usual morning donut. But one Redditor says they had just woken up, so did not take a second look. However, a donut may not be everyone’s idea of a breakfast, spiders most definitely are not. Unfortunately, the bite has already been taken.

22. What In The World Is It?

Image Credits: Reddit

One Redditor says it is a cashew, and they had almost eaten it. We think it looks too moist to be mistaken as a cashew. It seems like it has been the home of maggots for quite a while. So long that it has turned into a maggot itself. Yuck.

23. Fishy Business

Image Credits: Reddit

Another person on Reddit claims he found them in his fish. However, there is probably no need to be too alarmed. A commenter kindly informed the readers that most groundfish, like cod and halibut, have roundworms. However, the fish needs to be cooked well to kill off the worm larvae. Then, they are completely harmless.

24. A Cord Within A Cake

Image Credits: Reddit

One person on Reddit said it was a “pre-packaged pastry”; in other words, it’s a Pop Tart. Regardless of the notorious reputation it has when it comes to healthiness, this is a new discovery. Commenters explained that it was probably a cord that was used to tie the sacks containing the ingredients to be put into the processor.

25. Greens Aren’t Exempt

Image Credits: Reddit

According to a Reddit post, someone spotted these tiny pests while chopping their vegetables. These, according to the commenters, are aphids. Apparently, it needs a complete treatment process around the house and garden to eliminate them. Others also recommended soaking the broccoli in salt water to remove the insects.

Sources

  1. 28 WTF Food Moments That Immediately Made Us Lose Our Appetite.” Ranker. Alyssa Mariano. August 18, 2023.
  2. 40 Grossest Things Found In Food And Fast Food.” Eat This. August 20, 2018
  3. Top 10 Weirdest Things People Have Found in Their Food.” List Verse. Adrian Sharp. May 13, 2022.