WHY edible insects are the food of the future?

It’s been a while now that t’s said that edible insects will come soon in our plate. We can start seeing the big picture about the evolution of the field, but today I want to focus on 2 little details that show that the future is coming… Yes, I’m the kind of person who also focus on the details ! (Bug mentality) Let’s focus, have a nice reading.


“WHY edible insects are the food of the future?”

This was the title of a French radio show broadcast this week : “Pourquoi les insectes sont-ils la nourriture du futur?”.

Edible insects food of the future

This show was really interesting with Cedric Auriol from Micronutris, Raphaëlle from Jimini’s and Claude Fischler as a guest. Claude Fischler is a french sociologist specialized in food. He had written several books about this subject and done a lot of studies, he had notably worked with Paul Rozin, the worldwide expert of disgust.

Yeah another radio show about edible insects… So what’s the “detail”? I read many books and see many conferences of Claude Fischler and it’s the first time I saw him so positive about edible insects. This author is really an expert of food culture and mentalities and it has always annoyed me that I never hear him speak positively about edible insects. Now it’s done and I think it’s a lot! After Paul Rozin participating at the Ento-call last month and now Claude Fischler participating positively as a guest on a radio show, we’ve got the best in their field!

All the show was really interesting specially the intervention of an African woman who explained that it’s really cultural. A good point for all people who still think that “edible insects are eaten by poor savages who can’t afford meat“.

I love Foie Gras and I love eating palm grubs, for me there are both delicacies. But I find that frogs are disgusting, I can’t understand how you can eat that!

Moreover, an early dubitative auditor was gifted some Micronutris short bread with mealworms powder as she wanted to try edible insects but without seeing them… If I knew, I would have played a role…

Oh, another little detail, the title : “WHY edible insects are food of the future ?“. As a comparison, that was an article about edible insects published in 2013, you can see the differences by yourself : “Are edible insects the food of the future?” That’s funny how 3 letters can change everything…

Edible insects food entomophagy

Not the same photo, nor the same title… (Source JOL.com 2013)


Not all insects are edible…

This week I was in a petstore for buying some stuff for my new project (you’ll soon know!). As usual, I stopped at the insects shelf to see and hear the crickets and locusts. I took a box of crickets and read a little mention written on the bottom : “Not safe for human consumption”.

It was the first time I saw this mention… Thinking about it ; a few years ago, nobody would have thought “Oh; we should write on our crickets box that they’re not reared for human consumption”. If it’s now stated, the idea that crickets and grasshoppers can be eaten is now obvious… (I didn’t see any mention about this on the dead mice…)

Edible insects petfood unsafe - 1

“Not for human consumption”

There is still a little detail to regulate about edible insects..

More and more positive publications about edible insects, the subject of edible insects is starting gathering more and more people from different fields, so what’s the problem?

Two days ago, I read in an article that some edible insects sold in shops in the city of Cholet, were taken by the French Food regulation (DGCCRF) due to an unclear regulation in Europe…

Well, for a detail, that’s an annoying one…


Florian

Flo

Formerly I'm an environmental engineer, personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist and "Entotarian". In the edible insects industry for five years, I've been consultant for an insect farm in France, free-lance writer and international speaker. After developing the world's first table-top farm, I'm now in Paris with Jimini's where we are developing and selling delicious insects. I would say that my life revolves around eating insects.

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