People are obsessed with online culture, but there has been a particular fixation on food for a long time. Not just simple home recipes, but also all types of food content from drool-worthy travel videos to exotic eats from around the world. In fact, a recent survey of 5,000 Americans found that 77% of those people make food decisions based off of what is trending. That means these influencers carry a lot of (likely) unrealized power.
Don’t get me wrong — I am all about trying new foods and experiences — but overall, people need to exercise caution. If you’re testing out a new dish, it is more than helpful to do the research first; it can be genuinely lifesaving.
Philippines food influencer Emma Amit, 51, always shared her brave palate online, but sadly, her simple decision to eat a crab painfully ended her life. The New York Post reported that a now-viral clip shows Amit and her friends harvesting shellfish in a mangrove forest on February 4, 2026, near her home in Puerto Princesa, a coastal town in Palawan.
There, they collected what is known as a “devil crab” and included it in a coconut milk seafood bouillabaisse recipe Amit filmed for her loyal followers. Tragically, it took less than 72 hours for the crab to kill her. The very next day she fell ill due to the shellfish’s potent natural toxins, per the Post.
She was so sick neighbors said they witnessed her convulse as the ambulance arrived. Her lips reportedly turned dark blue while she fell into unconsciousness. She died just two days later on February 6, 2026.
The devil crab is an indigenous species to the area and contains a cocktail of lethal neurotoxins, including saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin, the same poison found in pufferfish.
LAD Bible stated that Laddy Gemang, chief of Luzviminda village where Amit lived and fished, confirmed her death was due to consuming the crabs as an investigation shows their brightly colored shells were found at her home.
“I saw the shells, there were around eight. I don’t know if all of them were devil crabs, but they all looked alike,” he said, according to the outlet.
He also noted that they were actually easily identifiable. “This is really saddening because they should have known. She and her husband, they are both fisherfolk,” he explained. “They live by the sea, so I know they know about this devil crab that’s dangerous to eat. So why did she eat it? That is what I’m confused about.”
Officials are reportedly monitoring her friends for any signs of poisoning and urge anyone in or visiting the area to proceed with caution when fishing.
