Disgusting Foods You Didn't Know that You Were Eating

Have you ever taken the time to read the ingredients of your food? In America we are so quick to label food "disgusting" ignorant of the fact that we are probably eating something just as gross. Before we judge others from countries that eat fish eyes, testicles or drink blood we need to take a gander at what is put into our foods.

Bugs

Carmine is a bright red dye that can be used as a food coloring. It is made from crushed cochineal bugs. The cochineal bugs are dried and boiled, and chemicals are added so the coloring will emerge from the dead bugs. You can find carmine in many edibles from yogurt to juice. The foods you find this in will usually be pink or red.

Gelatin

Everyone loves an ice cup of wiggly gelatin. It looks like a tasty science experiment gone wrong. What is it? Gelatin is a protein that comes from animal bones and skin. Sometimes it is derived from animal intestines. Gelatin is used in all types of things. It coats the pills and some vitamins you take. It is in your margarine, jam and candies.

Hog Maws

Hog maws are pig stomach.

Hoghead Cheese

Hoghead cheese also called "souse" or "head cheese" is not a cheese. It is a luncheon meat. It can be made from pork, sheep or beef. Usually it is made from pork. It is made from pieces of head such as ear, snout, or lips. It may contain other ingredients such as tongue, feet or heart.

Raw Eggs

The eggs in many eggnog recipes are raw. This is a reason pregnant women should stay away from eggnog. If you eat raw cooking dough you're also eating raw eggs. Eating raw eggs puts you at risk of contracting salmonella.

Boudin

I came across boudin while living in the South. It is a sausage made from rice, pork liver and pork heart. There are many types of boudins. Some are made with pork blood such as the "boudin rouge," while others are made with alligator meat like the "gator boudin." Other sausages made with blood may go by the name "black pudding," "blood pudding," or "blood sausage." Blood sausages may be made with blood from goats, pigs, horses, beef, or chickens.

Pork Rinds

Pork rinds or "crackle" is the skin of a pig that has been fried. The skin that is used doesn't come from a specific body part like the thigh. The skin comes from all over the pigs body including places you'd find revolting to eat like the butt.

Natural Casings

Have you ever wrapped in an edible container such as a sausage? This casing is made from intestines of pigs, sheep or cattle. Artificial casings are not made from intestines. One type of artificial casing is made from collagen from beef hides. They are tougher than natural casings and may be found on foods like hot dogs.

Meat Scraps

Bologna and hot dogs are made from scraps of meat

Deer

Meat is meat regardless of the animal it comes from, but many people look down on those that enjoy a nice slab of deer from time to time. Some salamis are made with venison.

E. coli

No one knowingly eats E. coli. E. coli is found in animal intestines, so how does someone chowing down a burger get E. coli poisoning? During slaughtering the animal intestines may be punctured and squirt onto the meat that is to be ground. If you have been sick due to E. coli it is because the meat you ate contained feces and the meat was not cooked at a temperature that would kill the E. coli.