The next superfood might just be the last thing you’d ever want to sip.
Scientists say cockroach milk, a nutrient-dense, high-protein milk secreted by the Pacific beetle cockroach (Diploptera punctata), is one of the most powerful alternative proteins on the planet.
But let’s be real—getting people to chug a glass of bug juice is going to be a serious challenge.
More nutritious than cow’s milk—if you can stomach it
A 2016 study found that cockroach milk contains three times the calories of buffalo milk, which was previously considered the most energy-dense milk.
It’s packed with protein crystals, essential amino acids, and healthy fats, making it a sustainable nutrition powerhouse. Some scientists believe it could be the next big thing in protein supplements and non-dairy milk alternatives.
But let’s be honest—this isn’t oat milk. It comes from cockroaches. Specifically, a secretion produced inside the brood sac of a mother cockroach, which crystallizes in the stomachs of her babies.
If that sentence alone made your stomach turn, you’re not alone.
The biggest problem: The “ick” factor
Even though edible insects are considered a sustainable protein source, there’s one massive hurdle: people don’t want to drink something that came from a cockroach.
Bugs are associated with filth, disease, and things you want exterminated—not farmed for cockroach dairy.
Overcoming this psychological barrier is arguably the biggest challenge for entomophagy (the practice of eating insects). It’s not that cockroach milk lacks nutrition—it’s that no one wants to picture where it came from while drinking it.
Is cockroach milk available now?
Despite its superfood status, cockroach dairy hasn’t hit grocery store shelves.
The biggest reason? Production challenges.
Cockroaches don’t produce milk in bulk, and unlike cows, they can’t be lined up for easy milking. Right now, cockroach farming for milk extraction is impractical.
But scientists are looking into bioengineered nutrition and cellular agriculture as potential ways to mass-produce cockroach secretion.
Some experts believe that with biotechnology advances, we could see a lab-grown milk version of cockroach dairy in the future
Could science make cockroach milk more appealing?
One way around the gross factor could be biotechnology.
Scientists are exploring ways to bioengineer the protein crystals found in cockroach secretion without actually milking cockroaches. Lab-grown milk could remove the insect connection while keeping the nutrient synthesis benefits.
Another possibility? Marketing spin.
People eat things like blue cheese, kombucha, and raw oysters, all of which have their own “yuck” elements.
If cockroach farming and sustainable dairy alternatives gain traction, functional food companies may find a way to rebrand cockroach milk as an eco-friendly protein—without reminding people where it actually came from.
Will cockroach milk ever go mainstream?
There’s no denying that cockroach secretion is an incredible source of protein, bioactive peptides, and essential nutrients.
But until the public can get past the mental image, it’s going to be a tough sell.
