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Science

Insects Could Give Meaty Taste To Food and Help Environment, Scientists Say 211

Insects can be turned into meat-like flavors, helping provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat options, scientists have discovered. From a report: Mealworms, the larval form of the yellow mealworm beetle, have been cooked with sugar by researchers who found that the result is a meat-like flavoring that could one day be used on convenience food as a source of protein. While mealworms have until now mostly been used as snacks for pets or as bait while fishing, they have potential as a food source for humans to help get the recognizable flavors of meat without the harmful impacts upon the climate, as well as direct air and water pollution, of raising beef, pork and other animal-based foods. "Insects are a nutritious and healthy food source with high amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and high-quality protein, which is like that of meat," says In Hee Cho, a researcher at Wonkwang University in South Korea who led the study.

"Many consumers seriously like and need animal protein in our diet. However, traditional livestock farming produces more greenhouse gas emissions than cars do. On the other hand, insect farming requires just a fraction of the land, water and feed in comparison to traditional livestock farming." Cho said that edible insects, such as mealworms and crickets, were "superfoods" that have long been enjoyed by communities in Asia, Africa and South America. However, people in Europe and North America are generally more squeamish about eating insects, despite recent forays by several restaurants and supermarkets into providing insect options for consumers.
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Insects Could Give Meaty Taste To Food and Help Environment, Scientists Say

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  • Forget it. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Shaitan ( 22585 )

    Steak stays on the menu and at reasonable prices. This is the hill I die on.

    • by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:13PM (#62817967) Homepage Journal

      This is the hill I die on.

      At least we know where the steak will come from...

    • I suspect most people would rather go vegetarian than start eating insects. Especially commercially produced insects in some weird nightmare farm factory. It seems so unnecessary. I'll eat tofu or whatever for some of my meals so I can still have steak and chicken once in a while. It's not so hard to adapt that I "need' to have cricket legs in my food.

      • I suspect most people would rather go vegetarian than start eating insects.

        Wait 'til you try them, you'll be begging for more.

        "Tasty" doesn't even begin to describe them, and they always have that crunch that's so difficult to get just right in bacon.

        • by Shaitan ( 22585 )

          The desirable thing in the bacon is the flavor of the seared outside and the rendered fat... the crunch is just an indicator you got there. Insects lack all that goodness. It is all crunch and the bad kind that gets stuck between your teeth like someone ate a bunch of shrimp, meticulously squeezing all the meat out of the deep tail and you grab a handful of the discarded shells and eat them.

      • by Shaitan ( 22585 )

        Nope, they'll just have to find their cuts elsewhere because I and I think most people are not willing to give up beef. Especially with the ecological impact of growing those vegetables.

        • I don't even like beef that much. I'd rather have a pork chop than a steak. My wife is the main reason I still buy red meat.

          Now rabbit, there's something that is tasty and fairly efficient in terms of feed to meat ratio. Anyone could raise them in a hutch, but I think most people are squeamish about preparing them.

          • Do you slaughter your own rabbit. Personally I have always found you a bit trolling but if you tell me you self - slaughtering, well then I gained a lot perspective for your life style -- no matter other differences.

            • It's been many years since I've slaughtered game. I haven't done it since I moved. I do buy fresh chickens and rabbits from time to time (I hate plucking chickens compared to skinning rabbit). Heads and feet on my animals doesn't bother me. Funny thing is people often don't have a problem with catching and killing fish. They have heads and eyes on them too. I worry people anthropomorphize with species that a morphically similar to humans.

              I would draw a distinction between trolling and challenging people's a

          • by Shaitan ( 22585 )

            I can't really get behind that. Pork chops can be tasty, in which case they've got bones and gristle through them making them a pain to eat or they can be as tasteless as chicken (center cut loin) and still have an annoying band around the edge. Rabbit is roughly on a level with chicken breast/center cut pork loin. Basically to get flavor out of those things you need to use a bunch of salt and the fattiest bits or you need to concentrate the flavor or ideally both. Either is a nice carrier for other flavors

          • Don't overdo it on the rabbit meat, "rabbit starvation" sounds like a horrible way to die.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

    • by ranton ( 36917 )

      They shouldn't focus as much on meaty taste (as mentioned in the summary) and instead focus on meaty texture. That is the biggest resistance for myself and any heavy meat-eaters I have discussed this with (still anecdotal though). We appear to already have the technology to get the taste right, from my experience with a few different meat substitutes. But the texture is way off.

      I'm all for plant based or even insect based meat, as long as it tastes AND feels like beef. Or pork or chicken. That is why I thin

      • by Shaitan ( 22585 )

        Well, for starters those plant farms are ecological disasters as well. You are right about the texture. For the flavor... they've managed to achieve 'good enough' for low grade fast food burger with sugary dips and toppings. But they don't even remotely compare with a high quality medium 80/20 chuck patty that has been properly seasoned let alone the beef pinnacle of salt/pepper crusted prime brisket has been clean smoked Texas style for 12+hrs and had the seam fat properly rendered.

        "I'm all for plant based

    • by tragedy ( 27079 )

      Steak stays on the menu and at reasonable prices. This is the hill I die on.

      You're demanding that everyone else pay for your luxury food with their taxes? Half of the water used in California is used, in one way or another, for cattle farming. It's simply not really sustainable. There is a traditional argument for all the subsiding it gets to make it affordable pertaining to providing necessary nutrition. The reality is though that there are much more affordable and sustainable ways to get that nutrition. So if there are alternatives that people will eat, steak should be required t

  • Since we lived in caves and fire was not yet controlled.
    Thing is, we have an instinctive revulsion that is hard to overcome.
    What kind of "news" is this, anyhow?
    "Scientists" have "discovered"? LOL
    • by Holi ( 250190 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:29PM (#62818059)
      Instinctive revulsion? Many cultures around the world include insects in their diet. You have a cultural revulsion, but that is learned behavior not instinctual.
      • by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:42PM (#62818111) Homepage

        Many cultures around the world include insects in their diet.

        There's also cultures that live in huts and suffer from neglected diseases, too. It doesn't mean most people would want to live like that if given the choice. I'm sure if these cultures had access to meat the way we do in western society, they'd ditch the bugs too.

        • by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @01:33PM (#62818341)

          I'm sure if these cultures had access to meat the way we do in western society, they'd ditch the bugs too.

          Errr they do. Basically every place I've ever seen insects offered on the menu also offer something that would appease your biased view on what is and isn't eaten.

          You're begging the question with your post that postulates that people eat bugs because there's no other alternative. Heck last time I ate mealworms and grasshoppers I was tossing up between that or a smoked salmon burger. The girlfriend wasn't as keen, she had a smoked chicken burger.

          It blows my mind that people would find the thought of eating bugs disgusting while also paying a premium for shrimp. What are they if not the bugs of the sea?

          • I dunno about you, but the first thing I do before cooking my shrimp is devein them. Last I checked you can't remove a bug's poopchute.

            • I dunno about you, but the first thing I do before cooking my shrimp is devein them. Last I checked you can't remove a bug's poopchute.

              Dunno about a lot of people. I personally devein prawns, but shrimp are too small to meaningfully do that. In many places (both Asian and western) shrimp are eaten whole. And again it comes down to personal taste and sensibilities rather than what is or isn't available.

              Example: I was enjoying a nice seafood and chips platter at Sydney dockside with a Vietnamese friend of mine. She was amazed that I didn't eat the prawn heads, and asked if she could have mine. The option was there for her *not* to, there was

          • by G00F ( 241765 )

            Ones pallet is highly influenced by ones bringing, and mostly IMO the first 5 years.

            IE picky eaters where shaped early in life, and hard to reshape. But peoples pallets do also shape a bit as they get older. But there are quite a few foods if you don't grow up eating people will never like.

            SkerpikjÃt, hagis, chipotle, and even squashes/sweet potatoes/yams.

            Never mind the mind games of ew it's a bug.

            PS. most bug farms are also infested with various parasites with a sizable amount capable or do cause iss

        • by ranton ( 36917 )

          There's also cultures that live in huts and suffer from neglected diseases, too. It doesn't mean most people would want to live like that if given the choice. I'm sure if these cultures had access to meat the way we do in western society, they'd ditch the bugs too.

          How is this insightful? All you have said is you imply cultures which aren't different than you must be some kind of undeveloped backwater country. The second largest economy in the world has a culture where eating insects is common. Not only as bare subsistence eating, but in restaurants. I don't have statistics on it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of the world's middle class is comfortable eating insects. The west does not represent the entire world.

          This coming from someone who is a very whi

      • Do these cultures include insects in their diets willingly? I doubt it.

        There were reports of people having feelings of dread or fear from iPhone models with three camera lenses, and they didn't know why. Psychologists figured it out, the lenses packed in a triangle looked like bug eyes or insect nests. Maybe this fear was learned by people being stung by an insect. That fear though still has an instinctual aspect because that kind of fear can't get so deep into our minds without some "pre-wired" pathway

  • I'm in. (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by Petersko ( 564140 )

    70% of the food I make already comes from cultures other than the excessively white world into which I was born. Why not? People eat cabbage, for fuck sake - even people rich enough to not have to eat cabbage. Insects are not an uncommon food in the world. I'll absolutely give it a shot.

    • 70% of the food I make already comes from cultures other than the excessively white world into which I was born. Why not? People eat cabbage, for fuck sake - even people rich enough to not have to eat cabbage. Insects are not an uncommon food in the world. I'll absolutely give it a shot.

      If it is healthier than other forms, safe to eat, and preferably more nutritious, I'll agree, why not?

    • Instead of poisoning the world with insecticides, our clever geneticists could seize the opportunities to modify the flavor of cockroaches so that kids and pets could lick them off the walls for their delightful flavors. And a lobster looks not much different from a 12 inch long grasshopper. Ask any anteater.
    • Weird that the comment was received poorly. According to 23 and me, my makeup is staggeringly European (centered in the British Isles), with 0.5% native American in the mix. That means my culinary background is very traditionally Western European.

      There's nothing wrong with saying I'm white, and that my learned diet is white - it's perfectly descriptive, and carries no negative connotations that I'm aware of. I'm having beef tenderloin for dinner, using very French techniques. When I say "white food" what c

  • by MacMann ( 7518492 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:22PM (#62818017)

    I saw a TED Talk some time ago on how grazing animals are holding back the deserts. If this works then we could turn large desert areas into land that produce meat and sequester carbon into the soil.
    https://www.ted.com/talks/alla... [ted.com]

    I reject the notion that we "need" to eat insects to "save the planet". The "planet" survived climate change before, it is human civilization that would suffer. Even the worst predictions of sea level rise and global warming tell us the equatorial zones will continue to have rain forests and savannas. They won't really change much because they are already hit with plenty of sun, and either an abundance or absence of water. What we could do though is manage the grazing of large animals to aid in the spread of plants that can hold water and carbon in the soil. These animals will produce meat. Eating meat isn't a problem, it is how meat is produced currently.

    We can grow meat in ways that aid in reducing global warming. I say we work on that before we give up and start eating insects. There's a lot of deserts in the world we could potentially shift to grazing areas for cattle. Just huge sections of Asia, Africa, and Australia look like potential places to try.

    • by CAIMLAS ( 41445 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @01:17PM (#62818283)

      This is currently done in the sand dunes Nebraska and other parts of the country which would, otherwise, be desert.

      This area used to be host to massive herds of Bison and accompanying predators and so on. Disease wiped the bison out over 100 years ago, and -something- needs to roam those sands or the land quickly reverts to desert.

      Regular, infrequent (ie not over-grazing) cattle grazing has effectively prevented western Nebraska and large parts of Wyoming from turning into a continuous desert.

    • If we get to the point of worst predictions there won't be any rainforests left after the human race nukes itself to and the planet into oblivion fighting a war for resources as billions of climate refugees stress our nations.

      Make no mistake, humans suffering on a global scale will not end well for the planet.

      • The human race isn't going to "nuke itself into oblivion" fighting resource wars. That's because nuclear power is far more valuable as an energy source than as a weapon to take over coal mines and petroleum wells. Nuclear power can be used to desalinate water, then pump that water far inland for irrigation. Building nuclear weapons to take over croplands is counterproductive because the land would be contaminated with fission products for months to years.

        Humans may "nuke itself into oblivion" but it won'

  • There is an ongoing story arc from Kevin and Kell which uses this very subject. It started in July [kevinandkell.com] and is reaching a tipping point [kevinandkell.com].

    Does someone from the comic have inside information?
  • by Petersko ( 564140 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:34PM (#62818083)

    "It's okay to put vegetables in my food, but hide them." - Tony

  • by pruss ( 246395 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:37PM (#62818091) Homepage

    It seems to me that unidentifiable but tasty ground meats like "taco meat" are a great candidate for partial or complete insectification.

    • You can also use cricket flour to bake things that people will find tasty without noticing that it's bugs.

    • It seems to me that unidentifiable but tasty ground meats like "taco meat" are a great candidate for partial or complete insectification.

      Taco Bell is way ahead of you there...

      But seriously folks, it's Grade F "meat". It comes in a white plastic bucket. Ground mealworm might actually be an improvement.

  • You know, maybe there is something to that conspiracy theory that we are controlled by shape-shifting aliens of some sort. That's the only explanation for this whole "how about some tasty bugs?" thing.

  • Ever hear of the FDA Food Defect Level Handbook? [fda.gov] A snippet from the book

    Chocolate and Chocolate Liquor
    Insect filth (AOAC 965.38) Average is 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams when 6 100-gram subsamples are examined OR Any 1 subsample contains 90 or more insect fragments
    Rodent filth (AOAC 965.38) Average is 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams in 6 100-gram subsamples examined OR Any 1 subsample contains 3 or more rodent hairs
    Shell (AOAC 968.10-970.23) For chocolate liquor, if the shell is in excess of 2% calculated on the basis of alkali-free nibs
    DEFECT SOURCE: Insect fragments - post harvest and/or processing insect infestation, Rodent hair - post harvest and/or processing contamination with animal hair or excreta, Shell - processing contamination Significance: Aesthetic

  • I want cheap insect protein. However, on Amazon, cricket protein powder is $50/lb. Optimum Nutrition, the most popular whey brand, costs $25 for a one pound bag and $14 per pound if you buy a large bag.

    I actually want to try insect protein. Fresh meat is a lot of work, I think soy is harmful, and I am not that comfortable eating huge quantities of whey/dairy. I'd like to balance my protein sources. I've heard that the chitin in insects is actually very beneficial, healthwise.

    I am personally on
    • You are competing with animal feed, and they don't have to make it so fancy for them as they do for you.

    • I'd love to eat less protein shakes that taste like ice cream and have a ton of sucralose(it's nice at first, but gets old and weird after your 100th shake). Whey is NASTY raw...really gross stuff.

      You are probably not getting enough leucine, it's an essential amino acid, and it's not present in whey protein. If you have protein without it, then it's as you describe: nice at first, but old after the 100th. You should either consider getting a different protein with leucine (like BSN, nice flavor [amazon.com]), or getting some BCAAs or even raw leucine [amazon.com] and adding it to your shake. I'd recommend the BSN, though, it comes with leucine.

  • Doesn't it seem a bit disingenuous to continuously come back to beating the long-punctured drum of "greenhouse gases", often lumping simple CO2 and methane in with more harmful things like chlorine?

    "Greenhouse gasses" (CO2) are:
    * not bad for the environment. Plants need CO2 to produce oxygen.
    * not destroying ozone.
    * not detrimental to life, but necessary.
    * higher now than at any time historically.
    It's almost like they've got ulterior motives and aren't telling you everything.

    Let's ignore, for a second, tha

    • "Greenhouse gasses" (CO2) are:
      * not bad for the environment. Plants need CO2 to produce oxygen.

      GHGs are not limited to CO2. CO2 at these levels (and higher) has a variety of negative effects including their greenhouse potential.

      * not destroying ozone.

      Some GHGs are in fact destroying ozone.

      * not detrimental to life, but necessary.

      Necessary for plant life, yet detrimental to non-plant life at levels we're reaching already, let alone expect to reach.

      * higher now than at any time historically.

      That's why they are a problem, CO2 in particular. It's been this high before, but conditions then wouldn't have supported human civilization.

      Do better.

  • I'll just feed the mealworms to my chickens, thankyouandfuckoff.
  • Textured vegetable protein has a problem with texture, allergens and off flavors far more than lack of meaty taste. Most meat dishes are dominated by non meat flavors any way.

    That said, I can live with the off flavor but I'd like some high moisture extruded textured protein which isn't soy.

  • No thanks. I eat meat to eat meat. Not something with a meat-like flavour.
    I'll eat vat-grown meat before I start eating insects.

  • I see that Project MEEB is still active. Good to know. Kinda miss working on it. Transfered over to MEWB [kxii.com] (Make 'Em Worship the Beast). Not as fun. I thought there would be more baby roasts and orgies.

  • I think McDonald's has already used this technique. I don't see how the McRib could be made of actual meat.

  • Scientists are already worried about insect extinctions.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/... [sciencedirect.com]

    While farming insects could help certain specific desirable species, it's hard to see an upside for those not considered "tasty."

  • If it hasn't caught on by now, it's hard to see it catching on any time soon.

  • by Vegan Cyclist ( 1650427 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @02:20PM (#62818537) Homepage

    A meat substitute you can't blame on us vegans.

    Plant-based burgers starting to sound a bit more appetizing now? =)

    • Why would they?

    • No, not really. I have had decent black bean burgers when the patties are made and cooked fresh, but Impossible Burger tastes like a salt bomb and Beyond Meat tastes gross. I am not on board and I am not changing my eating habits. I like salads fine, but I prefer them with a steak and I do not plan to change.
  • I intend to eat steak, play golf, and fly anywhere I want. I am only having one child.
  • As someone who won't eat shrimp unless it's butterflied and cleaned properly ... How do you clean out the digestive tract of millions of mealworms? Are they planning to feed us mealworms with their shit still inside them?

  • by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @03:04PM (#62818677)

    Meat does it already pretty well, ya know...

  • It's true that insects take less resources than meat [smithsonianmag.com]. But pretty soon, factory meat will be an option, and I'd rather have that.

    What I mean by "factory meat" is meat convinced to grow in a factory. People are working right now on getting meat to grow in vitro at scale. People are also working on meat substitutes that are easy to make at scale.

    According to Tony Seba, meat agriculture is about to be disrupted by the new factory meat technologies.

    The first disruption will be dairy farmers, who are already n

  • I am sorry, but I am in no way interested in this. I am about to turn 50 and so I will be gone soon. I will continue buying traditional meat until the powers that be successfully make it too expensive for me to afford. But rest assured, out of all climate related topics, this is the single issue that will make me change how I vote, and I am sure that there are others like me.

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