this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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Forbidden Gummies (mander.xyz)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 77 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

Honey?

Ohh, figs

A small opening or ostiole, visible on the middle of the fruit, is a narrow passage that allows the specialized fig wasp, Blastophaga psenes, to enter the inflorescence and pollinate the flowers, after which each fertilized ovule (one per flower, in its ovary) develops into a seed. At maturity, these 'seeds' (actually single-seeded fruits) line the inside of each fig.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

this is what one of the most popular foods look like before harvest

And what food would that be?

[–] [email protected] 100 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As someone who grows figs in their living room:

Most commercial (and even hobbyist) fig varieties are parthenocarpic, meaning they don't require pollination.

And fig wasps don't look like that. They're tiny little guys that most people would probably mistake for a very small ant.

And even if the fig was pollinated by a wasp, it uses enzymes to break down the insects body, to protect itself from mold and other pathenogens that such may cause.

Basically; fig waps are itsy bitsy wittle wupies, while figs are digesting their dead mothers corpses, because they are metal as fuuuuuck.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not a fig wasp. In fact, the article for Apoica Pallens doesn't mention figs even once. It says that they're used in folk medecine in Brazil, but that's far from it being a popular food...

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 weeks ago

That's the joke, hence the title. ;)

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

The journey to the center is pretty intense. She loses her wings on the way in and dies after laying her eggs.

iirc, the figs sold commercially were selectively bred to self pollinate. I think the FDA or USDA would have a major problem with dead animals in fruit, even if they're supposed to be there naturally.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You can think that, except If you want to think that, I wouldn't look up the allowable amounts of insect parts or other stuff in what you eat.

But here's the handbook straight from the fda if you want to anyhow. https://www.fda.gov/food/current-good-manufacturing-practices-cgmps-food-and-dietary-supplements/food-defect-levels-handbook

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I remember this from a high school science class. There was a girl in my class who was absolutely disgusted and mortified with the idea that grasshopper parts could be in bread. Maybe I'm wrong, but I reckon there's probably a difference between cooked prepackaged foods and fresh raw foods.

The idea of bug parts in food doesn't bother me much. Just a little protein. When I was a teenager during harvest, I'd climb on the trucks and stick a handful of wheat germ in my mouth when we were finished harvesting a field. I love the flavor and texture of wheat germ. Naturally, my favorite breakfast cereal is bran flakes.

Side note: if you do this, make sure they're golden brown, not pink. The pink ones are covered in poison.