At first glance, it looked completely ordinary.
A woman preparing a fresh salad noticed what appeared to be a small cluster of tiny brown or tan spheres sitting on the surface of the lettuce. From a distance, they could easily be mistaken for quinoa or another ingredient.
But when she looked closer, she realized they weren’t food at all.
What Were Those Tiny Brown Balls?
The objects appeared to be insect eggs, potentially from a stink bug or another leaf-feeding insect.
Certain insects lay their eggs in organized clusters, often attaching them to the undersides or surfaces of leaves. Because lettuce and other leafy vegetables are grown outdoors, produce can occasionally come into contact with insects and their eggs.
That can make an otherwise ordinary salad look surprisingly unsettling.
How Could They End Up on Lettuce?
Leafy greens are harvested in large quantities, often from open fields. Although produce goes
