For many people in the West, they aren't accustomed to having bugs play any part of their diet.
However, though the idea of eating insects might be a foreign concept to them, there are currently billions of people around the world today who do eat insects as a major part of their diet.
Mostly you can find insects playing a large part in diets of those from regions like Asia, Oceania, and Africa. But the trend has now been starting to make its way across Europe, to North America and elsewhere.
A growing number of companies have sprung up in recent years, looking to bring edible bug-products to the mainstream market.
They have been busy trying to educate the average consumer on the benefits of consuming such a product and struggling with trying to make the products appealing enough for them to try for the first time.
At first, ...
many might think that the idea is unappealing and they might convince themselves that they would never bring themselves to consume such a product. But you might be surprised, and the available insect food products continues to grow in variety.
You can now find things like insect-based energy bars, pasta, tortillas, flour, coated insects, and more.
It's estimated that there are something around 1,900 different insects that are deemed to be fit for human consumption. And that includes commonly consumed items like crickets, beetle grubs, grasshoppers, scorpions, and spiders.
The reasons that some give, for why they have become so passionate about bringing this food trend to other countries in the world that might be unfamiliar with the concept of eating bugs, are diverse. But in general, advocates of the insect food trend highlight that it's a much more efficient, cheaper, and eco-friendly way to produce sustainable protein for the masses.
Just recently,...
New York had its very first bug eating festival, and there are a number of similar bug-eating workshops and culinary experiences that are and have been taking place around the US for some time. Not only in the US but also now in places like the UK and elsewhere.
Those in the industry have said that they see themselves currently at a tipping point and that in the next several years to come that they will see some very healthy growth. It's expected that edible insect products will come to play a major role in the diets of many more people in the world.
In 2016 the market for edible insects was estimated to be around $105 million and it's expected that it will continue to grow. It's estimated that by 2021, that this market will grow by roughly 70 percent; with the global market reaching over $1.5 billion.
Pics:
Pixabay
NB Studio Via designindaba.com/sites/default/files/node/news/21865/mcdonalds2.jpg
Youtube via Metro - metro.co.uk/2014/10/13/these-yummy-looking-chocolate-treats-are-actually-insects-massive-sad-face-4903525/
Sources:
http://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/food-porn-isnt-new-but-bugs-on-our-dinner-plates-might-just-be-the-next-big-thing-say-adelaide-universitys-professor-andy-lowe/news-story/ed04f640482177aae09d7453cec3b407
https://gizmodo.com/i-ate-wasps-and-scorpions-at-new-yorks-first-bug-eating-1799982254
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/16/could-edible-insects-soon-flying-shelves/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/mar/31/insects-uk-diet-2020
https://arcluster.com/global-edible-insects-market-projected-to-grow-70-percent-through-2016-2021/
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Theres-a-Bug-Eating-Festival-in-Brooklyn-This-Weekend-442563723.html