Personally, I love looking at gorgeous photos of food on social media. I actually have a separate Instagram account dedicated to only sharing vegan food and following food accounts, so I can always give that feed a nice scroll through when I’m feeling hungry and need some inspiration for what to make for dinner. Seeing some photos of gorgeous bowls of oatmeal, huge Buddha bowls filled with roasted vegetables and topped with fresh sauces and decadent, homemade desserts is often exactly what I need to get me out of a culinary slump. But for some reason, there’s another type of person in the world too: those who enjoy viewing disgusting and unappetizing photos of food for… Fun?

The Bad Food [Pics] subreddit may be an enigma to you. It’s dedicated to sharing “horrible food photos from amateur photographers,” and clearly, it’s doing quite well. The group, which was created in May 2017, has already amassed over 36k members, and only has one simple rule: pictures only. The community focuses specifically on amateur food pictures from social media, but it’s also a breeding ground for some of the most unappetizing meals you have ever seen. Oreo scrambled eggs, rotten steaks and baked goods that resemble something my dog might leave for me to pick up in the grass, this group has no shortage of shocking and vile pics.

To learn more about how this subreddit came to be, we reached out to the moderators on Reddit, and lucky for us, one of the group’s creators was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “Bad Food [Pics] originally began as a sort of joke between my wife (the other mod) and myself,” Rickjackwood shared. “We would constantly share pictures between each other of our friends’ posts on social media of their ‘delicious’ meals, and we would gasp at how bad the pictures looked.”

“That’s also a kind of the lesser known thing about the sub: it was primarily focused on the horrible photography of food, and not necessarily on the food itself,” the creator explained. “Since then, it’s kind of taken on a mind of its own. We would go to sleep and wake up with another 100 subscribers. It was quite exciting! After some time, we were made aware of another similarly named and themed subreddit… I’m pretty sure we unintentionally hopped on their coattails and gained a bit of traction through their fans as well.”

As for why we find these disgusting photos so captivating and we can’t seem to get enough of them, Rickjackwood supposes that, “It’s something deep down in all of us. Everything is disgusting to someone.”

We were also curious if he is often disturbed by the photos in his sub or if he’s become immune to them. “Oh, I get grossed out over everything!” the creator revealed. “For us, the pictures that really hit the nail on the head check 4 boxes: Gross-looking food, out of focus, bad framing, and bad lighting. Worst for me hands down are the Ariake Dumpling posts. Every so often, they get posted, and every time they freak me out!”

We also asked the group’s creator if he believes people are actually chowing down on these horrifying dishes or if many of them are simply shared for comedic effect. (I'd like to give these people the benefit of the doubt if possible!) “I’d say there is a LOT of shameful eating going on! A LOT!” he told Bored Panda.

But running the sub has had some positive impacts on his life as well, as he said it has definitely changed the way he views food. “I honestly think it’s made me more adventurous about trying new things!” Rickjackwood shared.

And as far as what the creator of Bad Food [Pics] would like to share with you all, he says, “Frame and focus your [dang] pictures people. And BRING ON THE GROSS!!!”

If you’d like to join this community of weirdos who are fascinated by bizarre foods and love roasting horrible food photography, be sure to check out the subreddit right here! 

No matter how disgusting these photos get, I can’t help but be captivated by them. They’re confusing and absurd, and they might make your stomach do a backflip, but I can’t help but be amused by them. Many of the pics do beg the question, “What was this person thinking?” about whoever sold or created these dishes, and it’s only natural to wonder how in the world these photos came about. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you’re likely more cautious than many of these individuals are with your own meals. But if you haven’t, apparently, it’s pretty easy to be reckless with your eating!

While not all of these pictures include actual health and safety risks, it’s important to know that we should actually all be very careful when preparing food. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in six Americans falls ill from food poisoning every year. 128,000 of these people will end up in the hospital, and tragically, 3,000 individuals die from foodborne diseases annually. The CDC also notes that certain individuals are at higher risk of being affected by food poisoning, including adults over the age of 65, children younger than 5, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant people. 

As far as preventing food poisoning, the CDC says that there are a few steps we can take to keep our meals safer. Of course, these tips should be common knowledge, but clearly, some people out there need a reminder… It’s always important to clean our hands, work surfaces, and utensils before and after preparing food. Germs can be lurking anywhere in and around our kitchens, and it’s best to eliminate them wherever we can. It’s wise to also keep foods that are particularly risky, like raw meat and raw eggs, completely separate from ready-to-eat foods. When cooking, food thermometers can help ensure that your meals are heated to an appropriate temperature, and when it comes to keeping food cold, make sure that your fridge is always at or below 40°F or 4.4°C. 

If you’ve managed to make it this far, I commend you, pandas. You must have stomachs of steel. We hope you’re getting a kick out of these horrible photos, and please remember to keep upvoting the ones you think everyone deserves to feast their eyes on. Let us know in the comments what the worst food monstrosities you’ve ever witnessed, or even eaten, were, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring food photos that will send your appetite running as far away as possible, we recommend reading this piece next!