You VILL Eat Ze Bugs!! New push to make Insects Appealing

Public will get bug for eating insects under Government-backed drive

Emma Gatten – The Telegraph Aug 28, 2024

Researchers hope insect-based dishes, such as fried crickets, will one day bowl over consumers

A research centre backed by the Government will work to get insects and other meat alternatives onto supermarket shelves and make them more palatable to the public.

Innovation in meat alternatives has risen in recent years amid growing recognition of the environmental impact of animal agriculture, which accounts for around 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from food production globally.

Mince created from crickets harvested in Cambridge and pet food made of chicken cultivated from egg cells are two of the products recently launched by British-based companies which it is hoped will become more widely available.

The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) will look at how to cut red tape and ensure food safety, while also exploring ways to sell meat alternatives to shoppers through focus groups and surveys.

Prof Anwesha Sarkar, from the University of Leeds, where the research centre will be based, said: “We want to make alternative proteins mainstream for a more sustainable planet.”

Prof Guy Poppy from UK Research and Innovation, a Government quango that is providing funding to the centre, said it could explore which kinds of insect protein shoppers were most likely to buy.

“Culturally in the UK, why is it that people might be happy to eat a prawn but not an insect? Understanding why that is the case would be helpful,” he said.

“Then it’s about understanding what levels of processing would be required to turn that insect into something people are willing to eat.

“Is it that it needs to be ground into a powder, and that becomes a protein-based cookie, maybe with reduced fat and sugar, or is there some intermediate in which the insect is turned into something that looks like a burger?”

The Conservative Government pledged to make the UK a leader in alternative proteins as a key part of its strategy to cut emissions from agriculture.

More than 90 per cent of protein purchased in supermarkets is derived from animals, according to the Institute for Sustainable Food (ISF) at the University of Sheffield.

The new research centre will also receive £23 million in funding from multinationals and other businesses hoping to cash in on an industry that could be worth nearly £7 billion a year, according to estimates from the think tank Green Alliance.

Nudging techniques

Researchers will look at potential allergens, health impacts and ways to allay concerns about taste and price.

“We know that consumers won’t buy food that they don’t find appealing or that’s more expensive than their traditional choices,” said Prof Louise Dye, from the ISF.

“We also have to be sure that any new alternative proteins are safe and healthy.”

The centre will explore potential options for the Government or industry to persuade people to swap their steak for a plant-based or lab-grown alternative, such as nudging techniques, or public information campaigns.

Another option could be blending plant-based options into traditional products such as milk to reduce carbon emissions, Prof Dye said.

The burgeoning alternative meat industry has prompted a backlash from farmers, who argue it undermines the agricultural sector.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, a leading industry body, recently launched its own Let’s Eat Balanced campaign, which encourages people to consume beef, lamb and dairy.

In Italy, the Government has banned lab-grown meat, while France has ruled that plant-based foods cannot share a name with their meat inspiration.

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