G.there insects are the most important fauna of our planet and constitute the 90% of the animals on Earth. For entomologists they exist at least two million different species, of which 2 thousand are already used in cooking. Beetles, butterflies, bees and wasps, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets and bedbugs are edible. Over two billion people eat it to the world but generally the westerners they disdain them and feed on this form of food an instinctive repulsion. The recent regulation of the European Community promotes between novel food the yellow flour larva or Tenebrio molitor, the migratory locust and the Acheta domesticus. These “powdered” insects will the gastronomic tastes of Italians change? The company Fucibo he bet on it, with the former baked chips based on beetle flour.
Is the food of the future a return to the past?
Eating insects is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, in Leviticus and in the scriptures of the Islamic tradition. Aristotle enhanced the flavor of the cicadas And Pliny the Elder praised the beetle larvae. The peoples of Europe demonstrated contempt for entomophagy in later centuries, associating these animals with the destruction of crops and the transmission of infectious diseases. Today 113 countries use these sources of nutrition. Italy comes lastspoiled by the “Mediterranean diet” and increasingly wary of changing flavors.
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Europe lagging behind?
European legislation considered food only those substances “which had a significant history of consumption in the population before May 15, 1997“. This definition has for years hindered Community procedures on the introduction of insects to the table. Only in 2018 did the European regulation come into force which governs the procedures for the approval of “novel foods”. Switzerland, but also the Netherlands and Holland before this date they had already admitted the insects as food for man.
Are insects good for you?
They certainly are source of protein. “100 grams of Tenebrio molitor larvaethe flour moth ”- he says Valerio Giacconefull professor of Inspection and Control of food of animal origin in Padua – «can contribute for the 76% to our daily protein requirement and almost al 100% vitamins“. The nutritional picture of insects is similar to that of meat or fish: “Proteins are in any case the most significant component” – he says – “in thirty million grasshoppers there are sixteen tons”. Insects can be a valid alternative for the intake of noble proteins and have a conspicuous amount of essential amino acids such as methionine, lysine, tryptophan, leucine and isoleucine.
Other properties?
Insects are low in sodium, calcium and potassium but contain in quantity phosphorus and magnesium: «A portion of 100 grams of crickets and grasshoppers satisfies “- he explains -” ours daily requirement of zinc, magnesiumand partially of iron“. Insects also contain vitaminsin particular the B2, pantothenic acid And biotin And folic acid while they are low in vitamins A, C, niacin, thiamin and vitamin E. They can generally be considered excellent supplements of essential elements for our metabolism.
Are they high in calories?
The larvae are very caloric as they contain high amounts of fat. Crickets and grasshoppers have about 13%, while beetle, termite and cockroach larvae 30% and butterfly larvae 70%. The composition of them is very interesting triglycerides: «Mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids abound “ – he states – “who equate them in the nutritional pyramid with fish”. Due to the high fat content they are not considered a completely dietetic food: “100 grams of fresh product correspond to approx 400-500 kcal. “- underlines -” They are definitely a complete and healthy food, great for muscle mass“.
Are they safe?
Most insect species in the world are poisonous and cannot be eaten by humans. Some contain irritating compounds or contaminants, others promote the appearance of allergies. It is proved that People sensitive to crustaceans, shellfish and dust mites can develop insect allergies. The flours derived from these animals are in any case the result of a safe production chain: “The healthiness of insect-based food depends, as for other foods, on the safety of farming and the environment – he says – in any case long heat treatments reduce the risks to human health and the inactivation of any microbial forms of the raw product“.
What do they taste like?
Insect flours don’t have a particular flavor, only cricket flour has a faint hint of vanilla and licorice. The fried cricket or the chocolate-glazed grasshopper are only folkloric images: “The taste depends on the food context in which these animals are placed, the seasoning and the cooking method” – he says – “insects are used primarily for the supply of proteins and the our palate does not even notice it“.
Sustainable food?
In recent years the FAO it has sensitized the nations to the return to entomophagywhich represents a form of nutrition sustainable for the planet. The reduction of arable or livestock areas certainly makes it a wise and necessary choice. Furthermore, compared to traditional “farm” animals, insects foreshadow many other benefits: «The breeding requires less extensive surfaces, they have a very high prolificacy, they emit less carbon dioxide – he explains – they are definitely a “life-saving” form of nutrition for undernourished children and adults. This is also why they represent one stimulating challenge of the present and the future“.
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