HEALTH WATCH: Caterpillars the new beef?

By Dr Cory Couillard
A new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls for eating more insects. Edible insects are now being aggressively promoted as a low-fat, high-protein food for people, pets and livestock. 

Two billion people eat insects but the report says it’s not enough. The world’s food supply needs to double by 2050 to feed the projected population growths.

Reducing hunger is not the only benefit of eating insects; it makes economic and business sense too. Eating insects can reduce pollution, global warming gas emissions and create sustainable jobs in previously difficult economic markets.

Cattle, pigs, chickens and other commercial livestock have been reported to contribute nearly 20 per cent of the global warming gases and use excessive amounts of land and water. Ants, bees, termites, crickets, locusts, caterpillars, beetles and wasps are now being called “mini livestock”. Insect farming has been found to produce far less pollution and environmental impact than traditional farming.
Insect farming is an emerging business opportunity. A South African fly factory recently won a $100,000 UN innovation prize for animal feed. The factory found a way to raise edible insects by feeding them discarded food, manure and meat by-products. The Netherlands has also invested $1.3 million into rearing edible insects from food waste.
Normally, the price of diesel immediately impacts prices of food items; especially since most them are either imported or dependent on excessive transportation requirements. Transporters factor fuel, upkeep, salaries and profits in the overall costs and pass them to the consumer. Locally grown edible insects can cut the cost of food and make them more readily available to high-risk individuals.
The growing number of livestock farms has created the need for artificial watering facilities that are often powered by diesel fuel as well. Insect rearing is not necessarily a land-based activity and does not require land clearing to expand production. All of these factors impact the global food price and everyone’s availability to nutrient-rich options. The cost of gathering insects and producing them at scale is relatively low.
“Because they are cold-blooded, insects require less energy to stay warm and are therefore more efficient at converting feed into protein (crickets, for example, need 12 times less feed than cattle, four times less than sheep, and half as much as pigs and broiler chickens to produce the same amount of protein),” according to the FAO report.
On average, insects can convert 2 kgs of feed into 1 kg of edible meat. In comparison, cattle require 8 kgs of feed to produce a kilogram of meat.
Insect farms are also known to play a vital role in breakdown of natural waste products. Beetle larvae, flies, ants and termites clean up dead plant matter. Mineral and nutrient by-products of the dead organisms become reabsorbed in the soil for future plant life.
"The nutritional and economic value of edible insects is often neglected and we should further encourage their collection and commercialization, given the benefits to the environment and human health," said Paul Vantomme, an FAO forestry expert.

Nutritional value for humans

The good news — there are edible insects living nearly everywhere. There are more than 1,900 edible insect species in forests, farmlands and water sources around the world.

"Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly, and they have high growth and feed conversion rates and a low environmental footprint, says FAO.
“For every 100 grams of dried caterpillars, there are about 53 grams of protein, about 15 per cent of fat and about 17 per cent of carbohydrates. Their energy value amounts to around 430 kilocalories per 100 grams. The insects are also believed to have a higher proportion of protein and fat than beef and fish with a high-energy value.

“Depending on the species, caterpillars are rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron, as well as various vitamins. Research shows that 100 grams of insects provide more than 100 per cent of the daily requirements of the respective minerals and vitamins.”
Termites are rich in protein, fatty acids and other micronutrients as well. Fried or dried termites contain 32 to 38 per cent proteins and include essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid are particularly high in the above- ground hill termite species.
Scientists have studied the nutritional value of various other edible insects and have found that red ants, small grasshoppers and some water beetles have nearly the equivalent amount of protein while having less negative fats. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and zinc.
Malnutrition in developing countries is as much a problem of calorie deficiency as of protein deficiency. Insects vary in fat content but in most cases they can provide substantial amounts of energy.

10 per cent of a whole dried insect contains a compound called chitin. Numerous applications of chitin and its derivatives are being found in medicine, agriculture and industry. Certain kinds of chitin are also used in cereals as a source of fibre and calcium.
Insects are also less likely to make humans sick in comparison to cattle, pork and chicken. Transmittable, livestock diseases such as bird flu, SARS and mad-cow disease are on becoming much more common and dangerous. The FAO report does acknowledge the importance of additional research to determine potential health risks.
Insect harvesting is a relatively low-tech, low-capital investment option that offers entry-level options to even the poor and the landless. Insects offer livelihood opportunities for both urban and rural people that can be low-tech or very sophisticated, depending on the level of time and financial investment.
"The use of insects on a large scale as a feed ingredient is technically feasible, and established companies in various parts of the world are already leading the way," the report adds.
If insects become more widely accepted as a food option in many countries, the tremendous economic implications are clear. Innovative thinking and financing of insect farming could bring a new class of foods to the world market and facilitate international trade.
Dr Cory Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist  He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization's goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsemen