A TikTok creator was getting dinner ready when preparing a head of broccoli turned into a much longer job. She says she has always been careful with broccoli, and the video shows why. The video, posted by @bellaelwella, follows her as she works through a head of broccoli piece by piece. Her kitchen has no windows, so she checks everything under artificial light. She explains why she is so particular about cleaning broccoli. “I’m kind of funny about broccoli because I don’t fully trust that just rinsing them is getting everything out of here,” she says. “I try to separate it as much as I can without making it like mush,” she adds. Several gray specks appear to be packed between the tightly bunched florets. She isn’t sure what they are. “I don’t know what kind of mites they are, I don’t know what kind of bug, but all that gray are bugs,” she says. The footage alone can’t confirm the species. She finds more bugs hidden inside the broccoli She keeps pulling the head apart and continues finding more of them. “Every time I open up a little bit like that, there’s just like five of them in there,” she says. She even tries a quick test, asking, “Can you wash off bugs? Testing theory.” Soon after, she gives up on the head. “I don’t even know if this is usable,” she says. @bellaelwella Proved my point… I thought it was mild at first #cooking #broccoli #bugs #gross ♬ original sound – bellaelwella On the cutting board, small dark specks are scattered around. She then notices something moving and points it out. “Oh, and one’s alive. Hold on. You can see it. He’s moving,” she says. She decides to feed the broccoli to her chicken. “My mom has frozen broccoli, so my husband’s going up to get it,” she says. Viewers had their own suggestions. One person offered a fix. “if you soak it for about 20-25 minutes in some vinegar and water you’ll be good,” they wrote. Another questioned the frozen broccoli. “Is frozen broccoli actually cleaned?” they asked. Another viewer had a different reaction.”damn now I wonder how many bugs i’ve ate…” read the comment. Other diners have had similar reactions after spotting insects in their food. One diner reportedly spotted a tiny antenna in a restaurant bowl. Bugs in broccoli are not unusual. According to The Kyunghyang Shinmun, University of Illinois and Utah State extension guides list aphids and caterpillars such as cabbageworms as common broccoli pests. Some larvae can also hide inside the heads. The same report says the insects are not toxic to humans. It also notes that Utah State materials describe a salt water soak of about 30 minutes, though that step is meant for broccoli headed to the freezer. The report also notes that adding vinegar or baking soda is not a proven food-safety step. The clip doesn’t say where the broccoli came from or how long it sat in her fridge. For now, the footage shows one cook who decided this head wasn’t worth the trouble.