When purchasing food for a furry friend, most pet owners expect, at the bare minimum, that it’s going to be safe and free of hazards. But for one man, Purina ONE did not match that expectation. Over the course of weeks, he says he noticed small, black bugs in his home. He says he realized only a month after purchasing the kibble that the bugs were coming directly from it. Then he made another shocking discovery.
In a viral video that’s received more than 2 million views, Jeremy Mooney (@jeremymooney10) took a closer look at the kibble. He held one piece up for inspection. Then he tore it apart, which revealed that there were small larvae crawling inside.
“Black bug just came right out. Came right out of the dog food, and it’s all over. It’s in almost every piece of dog food,” he says. “That’s insane. … Look, I can just pick up a random one—look at this. There’s a maggot in there.”
As it turns out, he’s not the only one to allegedly discover squirming insects in the company’s products.
A Common Thread
While commenters seemed horrified by Mooney’s discovery, there were also many viewers who were not surprised.
In 2009, a pet owner posted on a golden retriever thread about the same issue. They said they found “eggs, larvae and flying insects” hatching in various bags of Purina ONE Kibble.
“We talked with Purina and they have simply sent coupons, but of course deny any responsibility,” they said.
They added that despite putting the dog kibble in special airtight containers, they still found bugs inside the kibble. They even switched retailers from PetSmart to Petco, but it didn’t stop them from finding future infestations.
In 2024, a social media creator said they found bugs inside a bag of Purina ONE kibble that they had purchased from Target.
Then in 2025, a TikToker found what appeared to be Indian meal moth larvae in her dog’s kibble.
‘This Is Not An Issue At Production Level’
Commenters said that the issue wasn’t with Purina itself. Rather, it was the warehouse or facility that the dog food came from.
“That’s not a purina issue. That’s an issue with whoever you bought it from,” a commenter said.
Across different social media platforms, users have echoed the same sentiment. On Reddit, a user inquired about Purina One dog food after they found insects in their Great Dane’s kibble.
One user responded and said, “We found bugs on occasion in dog and cat food for about 6 months . Switched stores and 20 years later never a problem. You can check with manufacturers but frequently it’s the store not the manufacturer. Think of how pantry moths spread, bugs will spread in poorly maintained warehouse.”
Other posts on Golden Retriever forum have discussed the very same issue and said that it’s warehouse-related.
“I have seen Indian meal moths in many different brands,” one person said. “It’s a storage issue and once a store/warehouse gets an infestation it’s really difficult to get rid of them. They are a nuisance but totally harmless.”
@jeremymooney10 Purina one purchased about a month ago, started noticing black bugs in the house didn’t see it in the dog food until I dumped it all and noticed #purinaone #dogfood #bugs
How Should Pet Owners Handle Kibble Infestations?
Previously, a Purina representative told The Big Lead how customers should report infestations.
“If insects are found in a Purina product, consumers should stop feeding the product, place infested product inside a sealed bag and place in an outside receptacle. Then contact Purina directly for assistance with product replacement,” a representative said. “Our team will also ask for additional information about where and when the product was purchased, how it was being stored, etc. This helps us work with our supply chain and retail partners to understand when this may have occurred along the journey from our factory to home and correct any issues in handling and storage.”
BroBible reached out to Mooney via TikTok direct message and Purina via email for comment.