Posted on 05/17/2024 5:34:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
The "disgust factor" must be overcome if insect-based foods are to become mainstream, according to a study.
Insects can be high in protein and making them more acceptable could help cut the high greenhouse gas emissions that come from farming cattle.
There are also potential benefits for cutting obesity and researchers say the idea of farming insects is gaining more attention.
Hundreds of millions of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America are estimated to already eat insects to some degree.
There are hopes Western attitudes could shift over time, perhaps in a similar way that food such as sushi has become mainstream.
"Insects are a potentially rich source of protein and micro-nutrients and could help provide a solution to the double burden of obesity and undernutrition," said study lead Dr Lauren McGale, from Edge Hill University in Lancashire.
"Some insect proteins, such as ground crickets or freeze-dried mealworms, are cheaper and easier to farm, often lower in fat and have a lower environmental impact than traditional livestock."
However, most people are still very reluctant due to preconceptions over taste and appearance.
But the study also found they were significantly more likely to give insects a go if they are ground into a powder.
"This has been done successfully with rice products fortified with cricket or locust flours in other parts of the world," said co-author Dr Maxine Sharps from De Montfort University.
Only 13% of the 603 people questioned in the UK study said they would be willing to regularly eat insect food.
Some 47% said they wouldn't eat it regularly, and 40% were unsure.
More than 82% of people expected insect food to be crunchy, 64.6% salty, and 62.4% bitter.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
dung beetles
just sayin’
meat will become scarce and very expensive through govt regulation in the name of global warming
bug protein will become the only affordable option for many
It’s June bug season in Texas, my beagles are bug assassins they crunch them at every opportunity. They get $65 a bag Gucci expensive 30% protein food so it is not for lack of protein. When cicadas are out yup they attack those too, Dragon flys, every caterpillar too. We have to stop them with the caterpillars some will make them sick. Not that we would eat the beagles they make dang fine rabbit dogs it’s the sport they are bread for Beagling we didn’t have to train them much they naturally take off on the scent trail of rabbits like a heat seeking missile. The training is getting them to run them back towards you with the shotguns. First rule of beagling don’t shoot the beagles, second rule of beagling don’t shoot the beagles, there is no more rules. We bag more rabbits than we care to eat when they get on the rabbit patch and down the holes dig dig digging.
There are plenty of animals that eat bugs on their own. We can just eat them. Chickens and hogs will decimate a maggot pile on fecal matter and eat the fecal matter to the last bit. Texas is so over run with feral hogs I don’t think we could shoot them to extinction even if we tried too. I have a couple of garage freezer full of venison, feral hog, wild turkey and Gulf of Mexico fish, crabs and shrimp all caught wild not store bought. I think us Texans will be ok if the tinfoil hat crowd get the last laugh and is right about eatzebugs quackery.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.