UN: Insects are rich in protein and better for the environment
Grasshoppers, maggots and mealworms, oh dear!
In July, Singapore, an island nation in Asia, approved these three insect species – and 13 others – for human consumption.
The decision of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) followed two years of discussions.
Why bugs?
The SFA has not explained exactly on its website why it has now decided to regulate insects as food.
However, it was said that organizations such as the United Nations are promoting this idea.
Why? Well, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says that insects are an environmentally friendly source of protein.
They are said to be better for the environment because, unlike the farts of animals like cows, they do not emit greenhouse gases.
More home-grown food
Eating insects could also help Singapore avoid importing food from other countries, which costs money and harms the environment due to emissions from trucks and ships.
Currently, Singapore imports 90 percent of its food, meaning that most of what Singaporeans eat is grown or produced elsewhere and then shipped to Singapore.
In 2019, the Singapore government announced that it wanted to produce 30 percent of the country’s food itself by 2030.
To normalize insects as food, we need to overcome the “yuck factor” that comes with eating insects, according to food security expert Paul Teng.
Bugs awaiting approval
So far, the breeding of insects for human consumption is not approved anywhere in Singapore and there are no approved importers. Therefore, the insects are not yet sold.
Francis Ng, owner of the House of Seafood restaurant in Singapore, says they are prepared as soon as they get the green light to sell insects.
The restaurant has already come up with 30 insect-themed dishes for customers and is offering them as free samples since they cannot yet be sold.
Ng says customers love when the insect ingredients are highlighted in the new dishes – such as when it looks like insects are crawling out of the tofu – and many film it for TikTok.
Eating insects is normal for some
Insects are already eaten in many parts of the world, for example in Southeast Asia, where crickets and other insects are sometimes enjoyed as street food.
In Canada, edible insects are allowed to be sold in stores as long as they comply with government regulations on food safety for Canadians.
Who knows, maybe your parents will come back with milk, bread and crispy cricket chips the next time you go grocery shopping!
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With files from Reuters
