Protein crystals in Pacific beetle cockroaches have four times the energy of an equivalent mass of cow milk. As upsetting as it may sound, cockroach milk might just be the flavour of the future as soon as it can be transformed into an edible food supplement.According to a report by the BBC, research by scientists has revealed that a certain species, the Pacific Beetle Cockroach, feeds its bug babies a formula which is remarkably rich in protein, fat and sugar.The species, also known as Diploptera punctata, nourishes its growing embryos with a nutrient-rich liquid secreted in its uterus-like brood sac. Unlike most cockroaches that lay eggs, the Pacific beetle gives birth to live offspring by the dozen and produces food for them with the liquid formula.According to the research published in July in the journal, International Union of Crystallography, as soon as the embryo ingests the liquid, protein crystals develop within its midgut.
