# Beetles in my M&M's??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 7, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614 "2001-05-07T04:57:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/1 "2001-05-07T04:57:28Z")

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I remember years ago, a biology teacher told my class that Beetle shells are made out of a substance called Chitin.

Now I also remember hearing that M&M candy shells have Chitin in them.

Any truth to this bizarre “fact” and if so, how does the M&M/Mars company harvest the Chitin?

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**Author:** ![fecal\_nugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fecal\_nugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fecal_nugget)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/2 "2001-05-07T05:14:18Z")

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Not sure on the m&m’s front, but Chitin is found in many other places, including your fingernails, and the horns of bulls (and other animals), so if it is an ingredient in candy, beetles wouldn’t be the only source.

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**Author:** ![fecal\_nugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fecal\_nugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fecal_nugget)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/3 "2001-05-07T05:15:55Z")

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fecal\_nugget, worst. grammar. ever.

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/4 "2001-05-07T05:18:07Z")

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[Is Some Candy Coated with Beetle Juice?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_118.html)

Cecil wrote about this. - Jill

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/5 "2001-05-07T14:44:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by fecal\_nugget \*  
> \*\*Not sure on the m&m’s front, but Chitin is found in many other places, including your fingernails, and the horns of bulls (and other animals), so if it is an ingredient in candy, beetles wouldn’t be the only source. \*\*

Maybe you’re thinking of [keratin](http://www.britannica.com/seo/k/keratin/)?

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**Author:** ![fecal\_nugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fecal\_nugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fecal_nugget)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beetles-in-my-m-ms/64614/6 "2001-05-13T18:58:15Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Terminus Est \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by fecal\_nugget \*  
> > \*\*Not sure on the m&m’s front, but Chitin is found in many other places, including your fingernails, and the horns of bulls (and other animals), so if it is an ingredient in candy, beetles wouldn’t be the only source. \*\*
> 
> Maybe you’re thinking of [keratin](http://www.britannica.com/seo/k/keratin/)? \*\*

Allright! That’s it, I can’t spell, my grammar sucks AND I’M WRONG??? dammit.