INSECTS AU GRATIN

SUSANA SOARES , PENELOPE KUPFER , BRIDGET NICHOLLS , DR. KENNETH SPEARS , DR. PETER WALTER & DR. DEBORAH SOUTHERLAND UK

‘Why not eat insects?’ This was the question asked by Vincent Holt in 1885, when he suggested in the St Paul Daily Globe that insects could act as a primary food source for humans. While the idea was rejected by the Victorians, insects have a long history as food in many places around the world. As Holt pointed out, ‘insects are all vegetable feeders, clean, palatable, wholesome, and decidedly more particular in their feeding than ourselves’. They are also tremendously efficient at converting vegetation into edible protein. 100 kg of feed produces 40 kg of crickets, but only 10 kg of beef. So as the world population keeps soaring, could entomophagy [eating insects] be a potential solution to some of the world’s food problems?

Insects Au Gratin looks for new ways of consuming insects and debates the nutritive and environmental aspects of insects as human food. By combining entomophagy with emerging 3D food printing technologies, the project encourages eaters to consider more sustainable ways of eating.