Image sourced from: thefutureofedibleinsects.com
World's population is estimated to reach 9 billion people in 2050. There will be a need to double the food production capacity. Climate change, scarcity of land, and decrease in crop yields made food scientists and professionals in the industry draw their attention to the new protein source: edible insects. Bugs are incorporated into the diet of many cultures around the world. Still, many people do not accept food made from insects as an alternative to animal protein. So, are the bugs worth trying?
The nutritional value of insects varies significantly between different species. However, some
bugs have protein content comparable to meat products, and they contain all the essential amino acids. Insects are a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, zinc, iron, and other minerals.
Enough for science, let's get to the question: where can we find edible insects in the market now? The top 5 countries that introduced new bugs' products are Mexico, the US, Thailand, United Kingdom, France. The most popular insect ingredients in product launches are crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms, cricket flour, and maguey worms. Go-to food categories with added insect powder are snacks (48% of all new products), sauces and seasonings (12%), bakery (7%). In Mexico, you can taste tortillas fortified with Yellow mealworm. Muffins supplemented with the same species are well accepted by the consumers. It may sound very surprising, but some sport and alcoholic beverages also have bugs in their ingredient list.
In Canada, you can find some places that sell foods made from crickets. President's choice has a 100% cricket powder. Suppose you are more into exploring new recipes with a little twist. In that case, Ta Chido Snack Bar Mexicain in Montreal serves snacks and tacos with crickets. However, people who are allergic to crustaceans and shellfish may react to eating edible insects.
References:
Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada. (2019, May 14). Retrieved October 19,
2020, from https://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/international-trade/market-intelligence/reports/ingredient-focus-insects-in-packaged-food-drinks-and-pet-food/?id=1535555690681
Kim, T. K., Yong, H. I., Kim, Y. B., Kim, H. W., & Choi, Y. S. (2019). Edible Insects as a
Protein Source: A Review of Public Perception, Processing Technology, and Research Trends.
Food science of animal resources, 39(4), 521–540. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2019.e53
Van Huis, A. (2016). Edible insects are the future? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 75(3),294-305. doi:10.1017/S0029665116000069