Dutch scientists push for bugs to replace meat as food source

• Spartaaaaa wrote on 2011-01-26 11:16

  by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
  
  (NaturalNews) Arnold van Huis and his research team from Wageningen University in the Netherlands believe that insects and other bugs are more sustainable food source for humans than traditional cows and pigs are, and they want you to agree with them. At a recent seminar, Huis and his colleagues unveiled a variety of bug-based foods to 200-or-so "guinea pig" taste-testers. The items included worm pralines, grasshopper spring rolls, and meal worm pastries.
  
  "There will come a day when a Big Mac costs 120 euros ($164) and a Bug Mac 12 euros ($16), when more people will eat insects than other meat," announced Huis to the crows of listeners. "The best way to start is to try it once."
  
  Conventional meat prices, of course, are unlikely to reach such lofty prices, especially as increasing numbers of small farmers begin to raise and graze their own cattle to meat local demand for "Slow Food." Even so, Huis and his colleagues are convinced, and believe that eating bugs it humanity's only way to escape the coming food crisis.
  
  According to reports, seminar attenders were mostly receptive to the insect fare, gobbling down various species of worms, grasshoppers, and other insects. The bugs offered were raised by farmers in the Netherlands specifically for food, most of which currently goes to create animal feed. But a small portion of it is also transformed into human food, which in some countries is actually considered a delicacy.
  
  Researchers say bugs are high in protein and require less feed to produce good yields. In Mexico, the local population consumes about 500 different types of insects. And in Africa, locals eat about 250 varieties. Even Westerners already unknowingly eat roughly 500 grams of mixed bug residue every year, due to its unseen presence in many processed food products.
  
  Since most people will likely always be avert to eating whole bugs, researchers are evaluating ways to process and texturize bug slurry to taste like regular meat so that consumers will not be able to recognize a difference.

  
  
  Link to article: http://www.naturalnews.com/031111_insects_food.html
  
  And John the Baptist did eat locusts after all...
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-01-26 11:45
  DO NOT WANT.
  
  This is nasty! :(
• Tokiko wrote on 2011-01-26 11:53
  Radroach meat!
  
  and if you don't get the Fallout reference radroaches are radio-active cockroaches that grown tremendously in size and you can loot their meat to eat.
  
  But Phunkie is right apparently Radroach meat taste like "old feet".
• Tatsu wrote on 2011-01-26 11:55
  Entomophobia...
  
  No. A good part of the human population, specifically those from first world countries, will not enjoy this. More people are afraid of ants than they are of cows.
• TA wrote on 2011-01-26 13:01
  It only seems nasty because it's not "normal." It's perfectly fine. I don't think we're going to have any kind of food shortage like they're talking about in our lifetimes, but I wouldn't be worried about it as long as it tasted good. Obviously nobody wants to eat a full insect, y'know legs and all hairy and stuff. No... Most consumers wouldn't eat whole cows and other things (hair and such included). So, it's silly to think of insects like that. Being ground, flavored and cooked and with a non-crunchy normal feeling meat texture, I think it'd be totally fine.
  
  As for this revolutionary idea of theirs...... they're a couple decades ahead of their time at the very least. Something like this isn't going to work until there is actually a problem, not now when there is no problem.
  
  By the time it would become a problem, there's probably going to be other options anyways I suspect. Not that eating insects would be bad anyways. Besides, they're healthier.
  
  In short... I don't care what it looked like when it was alive as long as it tastes good, smells good and looks good when it's in front of me. Everything else is irrelevant and inefficient. People will adapt.
• Piero wrote on 2011-01-26 13:09
  EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
• Magenera wrote on 2011-01-26 15:34
  People say ew now. But once starvation hits, it be "dude I'm not sharing my grasshopper, get your own." Seriously it is not that bad, when face with starvation. There is always a bright side to everything.
• gentrone wrote on 2011-01-26 15:36
  Lol, Bug Mac.
  
  Well if they are tasty then why not.
  
  Waiter, I would like a well done grasshopper steak please!
• Lan wrote on 2011-01-26 15:46
  You do what you need to survive. Since I'm not that big on beef I'll manage :3 Pork and Chicken!
• Athde wrote on 2011-01-26 15:54
  I wouldn't care as long as they don't announce it and blend it in seamlessly. But also look at the facts. You're gonna need a helluva lot of ants and/or other insects just to make one pound of meat.
• gentrone wrote on 2011-01-26 15:57

  Quote from Athde;305163:

  I wouldn't care as long as they don't announce it and blend it in seamlessly. But also look at the facts. You're gonna need a helluva lot of ants and/or other insects just to make one pound of meat.

  
  
  B>Ant milkshake...
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-01-26 16:15
  EW.
  
  I would only eat bugs if I were dying.
  
  I love my real food too much.
• EienNoTsubasa wrote on 2011-01-26 16:19
  It's nice that they're considering alternatives for food, but there are somethings that you simply don't eat, regardless of how edible it is.
  
  But that's just a personal preference.
• Cynic wrote on 2011-01-26 16:22

  Quote from Tasha;305118:

  It only seems nasty because it's not "normal." It's perfectly fine. I don't think we're going to have any kind of food shortage like they're talking about in our lifetimes, but I wouldn't be worried about it as long as it tasted good. Obviously nobody wants to eat a full insect, y'know legs and all hairy and stuff. No... Most consumers wouldn't eat whole cows and other things (hair and such included). So, it's silly to think of insects like that. Being ground, flavored and cooked and with a non-crunchy normal feeling meat texture, I think it'd be totally fine.
  
  As for this revolutionary idea of theirs...... they're a couple decades ahead of their time at the very least. Something like this isn't going to work until there is actually a problem, not now when there is no problem.
  
  By the time it would become a problem, there's probably going to be other options anyways I suspect. Not that eating insects would be bad anyways. Besides, they're healthier.
  
  In short... I don't care what it looked like when it was alive as long as it tastes good, smells good and looks good when it's in front of me. Everything else is irrelevant and inefficient. People will adapt.

  
  
  ^
  
  People are only lead to believe bugs are gross.
  I assure you once it comes down to it, you won't care. We eat animals, how is that not just as gross?
  
  It's sad to see how picky some people are. They've obviously never been truly hungry before.
• Valkyrie wrote on 2011-01-26 16:26

  Quote from Phunkie;305080:

  DO NOT WANT.
  
  This is nasty! :(

  
  
  Lol