At the end of March 2025, an investigation by Radio Liberty revealed that “Kvareli’s Baga,” a dairy farm owned by businessman Lasha Papashvili, a supporter of the Georgian Dream party, was feeding its cows with chicken manure. In 2018, “Kvareli’s Baga” purchased 2,700 tons of manure from “Chirina,” which, according to the farm, killed their cattle and spoiled the milk. Laboratory tests submitted in court showed that the manure contained tetracycline, which led “Kvareli’s Baga” to sue “Chirina.”
Additionally, on April 3, the National Food Agency reported that five samples of milk from the brand “Soplis Nobati” contained aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a carcinogen, in amounts exceeding the legal limit. This news was used on social media by various groups, including supporters of the Conservative Movement and anti-vaxxer groups, to create conspiracy theories and reinforce anti-Western sentiment.
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Cockroach milk and the “globalists’ plan” to replace traditional food
Conspiracy theories circulating on social media have linked the “Kvareli’s Baga” case to the development of alternative animal products, such as cockroach milk. Screenshots of an article were widely shared, which said that the biochemical composition of cockroach milk was studied as a potential future food. Various Facebook groups claimed that the milk scandal in Georgia was artificially orchestrated to replace cow’s milk with cockroach milk. According to these narratives, the West is imposing a “fabricated agrarian policy” aimed at promoting unnatural foods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).
In reality, cockroach milk is neither an approved nor recommended food – it is only being researched as a possible alternative product for the future.
Posts also emphasize that under the guise of climate change and vegan agendas, traditional food products are being replaced with biotechnological products, and to this end, a shift towards plant-based and, eventually, insect-based foods is being promoted (1, 2, 3, 4). Within this narrative, climate change is portrayed as either a fabricated or deliberately exaggerated threat used by the West and influential international organizations to attain their political and economic goals.
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“A Deliberate Attack on Local Agriculture and Natural Products”
At the same time, some social media users (1,2,3,4,5,6) claimed that the attack on locally produced agricultural products is part of a targeted campaign aimed at destroying local dairy production and instead offering unfamiliar and potentially harmful products to people.
For instance, Facebook users known for spreading conspiracy theories alleged that after dangerous substances were found in Georgian milk, European products suddenly appeared on the local market. According to them, information about the toxicity of “Soplis Nobati” milk is being deliberately spread in order to replace it with European products.
In reality, European milk has been sold in Georgian supermarkets for a long time and did not suddenly appear in April 2025. After the investigation exposed the dispute involving Papashvili’s farm and the National Food Agency’s finding of a carcinogen in “Soplis Nobati” milk samples, various companies, including Georgian brands, began promoting their dairy products, which, in fact, is a marketing strategy rather than an attempt to sell “newly imported products.”
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What Do We Know About Cockroach Milk?
Cockroach milk is considered a potential “superfood” because it contains a high concentration of proteins, fats, sugars, and all essential amino acids. Studies have shown that the milk crystals produced by the Pacific cockroach species (Diploptera punctata), which nourishes its embryos with this substance, are nearly three times more caloric than buffalo milk. However, the fact that cockroach milk has been identified in laboratories as a highly nutritious substance (such as “beetle milk”) does not mean it is ready to become part of the human diet. The cockroach species that produces this “milk,” Diploptera punctata, is unique compared to other cockroaches – it gives birth to live offspring and produces nutritive liquid for them. Like many other living creatures, this species feeds its embryos with a protein-rich liquid secreted by a uterus-like brood sac. This means that this liquid nourishes the embryos inside the cockroach’s womb. Once the embryos ingest the liquid, protein crystals develop in their midgut. Therefore, extracting even a small amount of this high-nutritional liquid is a difficult, labor-intensive, and inefficient process that also raises ethical dilemmas. To harvest even a small quantity of milk would require the killing of millions of cockroaches. Additionally, there is no industrial infrastructure capable of mass breeding and “milking” beetles. Consequently, its production is currently neither economically nor logistically feasible.
It’s also important to note that any new food product intended for human consumption must undergo rigorous testing, including toxicity evaluation, allergy assessments, and long-term health impact studies. At this stage, there have not been enough reliable clinical studies conducted on cockroach milk, and no authoritative international body has confirmed that it is safe for human consumption.
The claim that the cow milk scandal in Georgia is linked to the promotion of cockroach milk is a conspiracy theory. Similarly, the idea that cockroach milk is part of a global elite plan to replace animal products with insect-based food is also a conspiracy theory. Scientific interest in cockroach milk stems from the search for alternative, sustainable proteins for future food sources. However, as of now, it is not part of the human diet, and discussions about its consumption remain speculative.
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Who Is Spreading Conspiracy Theories About Replacing Cow’s Milk with Cockroach Milk?
On social media, the milk scandal was actively promoted by anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theory-spreading groups, some of which are also known for their support of far-right and pro-Russian actors.
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaxxers have shifted their focus to various emerging crises. One example was the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, during which they attempted to justify Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine and present the war as part of a new world order and a continuation of the pandemic agenda. Such a behavior of anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists suggests that these groups seek to interpret any event in ways that reinforce public distrust toward international organizations and Western institutions.
Since the COVID pandemic, the same accounts have consistently spread narratives about the dangers of vaccination and conspiracies about a new world order and global elites. The disinformation, conspiracy theories, and anti-Western content spread by these accounts are regularly fact-checked by Myth Detector. Among those accounts are: Fant ina, Gvan Ca, Maia Tvaltvadze, Koba Jakobia, Giorgi Giorgi, and Tamari’ Oni (True Friend).
The Facebook account “Tamari’ Oni” frequently tags the account “True Friend” in her posts (1,2,3), raising suspicions that these accounts may belong to the same person. In a 2021 post, “Tamari’ Oni” wrote, “If this blue butterfly flies to you and offers friendship, accept it – it is a true friend.” In an identical 2021 photo posted by “True Friend,” the author of the post is referred to as “Tamunia” (diminutive of Tamari). “True Friend” regularly posts conspiracy theories, anti-vaccine content, and disinformation, some of which have previously been fact-checked by Myth Detector.
Facebook accounts Salita Natriashvili, Katerina Kata Lina, and Tamta Pitiuri regularly post anti-vaccine and other conspiracy content (1,2,3).
Among spreaders of conspiracy theories is also Khatia Janashia, who supports the pro-Kremlin group “Alt-Info.” She regularly posts anti-opposition, anti-Western, and homophobic content.
