A study published by the International Union of Crystallography states that milk from cockroach could be the food of the future. But it is not any cockoach… Diploptera punctata is the only one that produces a certain type of milk. Unlike most cockroaches, this variety does not lay eggs; it delivers its babies and generates a milky substance with protein crystals and uses it to feed them.
This cockroach, known as the Pacific beetle cockroach, feeds its babies with this substance that is richer than cow’s milk or buffalo’s milk. It contains proteins, sugars, fats and nutrients.
Since the product would not be commercially viable due to the difficulty of milking cockroaches and producing milk in industrial quantities, a team of scientists from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (India) is conducting an analysis of the genes that allow the production of cockcroah crystals milk. Once they have the complete genetic sequence, they will try to replicate the process with yeasts. Experts affirm that this would be an option to eradicate hunger around the world.