The female Pacific beetle cockroach is the only known cockroach species to be viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young and nurse their offspring. As cockroach embryos drink their mother’s milk, it concentrates inside their guts and forms tiny crystals, which are considered a complete food with proteins, fats and sugars. Scientists found that cockroach crystal milk protein can be extracted, and have been working on reverse-bioengineering it for mass production, possibly as a supplement.
Because cockroach milk has quadruple the nutrition value in comparison to cow’s milk, it may in the future be tapped to feed the world. “Three times richer in calories than buffalo milk (the previous top contender for the most protein- and calorie-rich milk) ... So could a competitive health-food market that already stocks cow, goat, almond, soy, cashew, hemp, rice, and coconut milk as…
