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The consumption of insects has supplemented the diet of humans throughout history, but now more than ever it is a trend in the global food industry.
The insects Are consumed especially in the regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, but little by little, its consumption has been spreading until it reaches some western countries. It is true that this food practice is repulsive to us, and this is due, according to the FAO, to the fact that “By developing sedentary agriculture, we began to perceive the insects more like a threat that as a source of food “.
Currently there Registered, at least, 750.000 species of insects on the planet, of which more than 1.900 are consumed, a figure that increases as the investigations progress. Of these, the most consumed insectsAccording to FAO data, they are beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps and ants, followed by grasshoppers and crickets.
Entomophagy is not directed solely at humans, but rather the use of insects as a substitute for feed for fish and poultry.
Benefits of entomophagy
If we compare the breeding of insects with that of traditional livestock, the former offer greater benefits in terms of environment, health and social mediaAs they are not so dependent on land, they need much less water and the greenhouse gases they emit are much lower than those of livestock.
Insects provide quality nutrients and proteins comparable to those of meat or fish, also containing a good amount of fiber and micronutrients. This high contribution of nutrients makes them a ideal food supplement for children with malnutrition problems.
Another benefit in favor of the breeding and consumption of insects is that pose minimal risk of disease transmission, such as bird flu or mad cow disease, since, currently, no cases derived from entomophagy have been recorded.
Food of the future
Climate change, population growth and the exploitation of resources have caused the food industry to seek nuevas sustainable ways to feed the population, thus developing, not only entomophagy, but also managing to create food with 3D printers, or formulating a cellular agriculture.
As you are seeing, the entomophagy It is being developed as a food of the future thanks to the ease of raising invertebrates, the great contribution of proteins, their low fat content and their low cost, making them, in this way, the best replacement for cattle.
Have you considered consuming printed food sometime? It is very possible that in a short time we will attend restaurants that offer dishes “cooked” with 3D printers. These printers, instead of using ink cartridges, contain capsules loaded with ingredients that print layer after layer until the desired plate is achieved.
Another of the nutritional advances that we will see in the not too distant future is the cellular agriculture. A technique that consists of grow animal tissues in a laboratory from animal stem cells, thus eliminating the need to raise and slaughter livestock.
Do you dare to try any of the new food trends that are coming?