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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday September 05 2015, @02:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the chocolate-covered-grasshoppers dept.

A Los Angeles Times article reports on aspects of the current state of insects as food in the US. Apparently the trend is increasing. The article focuses on a company that supplies mealworms and superworms.

Mealworms and superworms are rich in protein, amino acids and vitamins and minerals like potassium and iron. Plus, they have less fat and cholesterol than beef.

These and other insects are also considered an environmentally friendly source of protein because they can be raised on a fraction of the land and water required for traditional livestock, like cattle.

In case you are wondering:

Their flavor, when toasted, is often described as being nutty and crispy, akin to roasted pecans or fried pork rinds.

Mealworms and superworms are "two of the roughly 1,900 insect species that are good for people to eat, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization." Already about 2 billion people have insects as a staple in their diets (personal observation: a true "paleo-diet" would require them).

What are the environmental benefits?

Compared with cattle, cultivated insects emit far fewer greenhouse gases, require less water, can be grown in a smaller space, can eat foods like vegetable scraps that would otherwise be considered waste, and can grow more protein from less feed, according to the report. For instance, growing mealworms for food requires about one-tenth as much space as raising an equivalent amount of beef protein, the report says.

The benefits may not be as clear when compared with chicken:

A study published in 2015 in the scientific journal PLOS One found that crickets raised on poultry feed required nearly as much food as conventionally raised chickens per unit of protein produced. If crickets aren't able to convert feed into protein more efficiently than chickens, they really aren't that much more sustainable, the researchers concluded.

For those interested, you may want to read the report produced by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.


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  • (Score: 5, Funny) by mhajicek on Saturday September 05 2015, @04:39AM

    by mhajicek (51) on Saturday September 05 2015, @04:39AM (#232518)

    "Chicken good." - Leeloo Dallas Multipass.

    --
    The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
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    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
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