FDA Warns People Allergic To Seafood Not To Eat Cicadas

People with a seafood allergy should avoid consuming cicadas because of their relation to shellfish, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

“Yep! We have to say it! Don’t eat [cicadas] if you’re allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

Cicadas, insects known for their life cycle that includes between 13 and 17 years underground, have emerged in massive numbers throughout much of the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. More than a trillion total cicadas are estimated to have emerged since May, according to USA Today.

The Washington Post published a series of cicada recipes and a candy company in Maryland has started selling chocolate-covered cicadas, CNN reported. Daily Caller video director Richie McGinniss, meanwhile, posted a video of himself munching on one of the crispy insects.

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) previously noted that cicadas don’t sting or bite and aren’t toxic when consumed. However, eating many cicadas may irritate the stomach because of their “crunchy” exoskeleton and may be a choking hazard for small dogs, the CVM added.

Cicadas are expected to die off later this month and early July, according to USA Today.