This Publix-Bought Seasoning Was Caught With Maggots Inside And Our Stomachs Are Turning

Whether baked into the bun of a burger, adding crunch to kung pao chicken, or used as an upgrade to breakfast eggs, sesame seeds are a common ingredient in all sorts of cuisine. But the next time you want to spruce up your avocado toast with a sprinkle of sesame, take pause and double-check your stash of seeds for unwanted invaders — like maggots.

Actress Ernestine Morrison (of "Queen Sugar" and "Think Like A Man Too") recently found living, squirming maggots in a brand new, unopened container of McCormick sesame seeds, which she had purchased at Publix. This past Friday, August 21, she brought attention to her discovery in an Instagram video in which she said, "Publix and/or McCormick count your days." She then showed off the bug-ridden sesame seeds for all to see and pointed out that the spice container had an expiration date of January 2028, proving this wasn't a case of an older item left on the shelf for too long.

This news comes in the wake of many other health scares and food recalls, including this summer's cyclospora outbreak, which are leaving people wondering what's actually safe to eat. Now we might have to add McCormick seasonings to the taboo list. In response to Morrison's Instagram post, comments included such concerns as: "Everything recalled!! Gonna start eating air!"

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident — not even an isolated incident in recent days. A mere two weeks ago maggots had already wormed their way into the news when a workers union at an airline catering facility for LAX airport reported seeing maggots, roaches, and flies infesting the equipment. Flying Food Group, which provides food for in-flight service on several major airlines, is at the root of this turmoil. The employee who discovered the foul scene reported being instructed to simply wash away the maggots and other filth so that the dishes could be readied for the next plane.

Similarly, in July 2025, a customer of La Reyna Bakery in San Carlos, Texas claimed she took a bite of a ham and cheese croissant and ended up with a mouthful of maggots. Is it true? Maybe. A health inspector visiting the bakery that same day found no evidence of maggots in the croissants, but they did uncover five other health code violations. That's certainly enough to at least cause suspicion.