We were in the last minutes of the lecture of the course “ Insects as food and feed”. The course, managed by the Prof. Joop van Loon (Lab. of Entomology), together with many professors and researchers from different departments (Entomology, Aquaculture, Animal Production Systems, Food Technology, Food Safety, Animal Nutrition) addresses insects as human food and animal feed from multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary perspectives involving natural and socio-economic sciences and relevant stakeholders.
During the course we had to carry out various group-works, and one of these was to find a good idea for a food made of insects to be sell in the North American Market. From all the ideas one would have been selected as the best through a vote, and a small prize would have been given to the winning group.
After many hours of lectures, we all had a good knowledge about what is need to be done in order to process an insect and transform it in a palatable and appreciable food for human consumption, from harvesting methods to bio-fractionation techniques.
The contest was not only about finding the best idea, but also how to commercialize it, and how to give an interesting appeal for the public. Taste experience relies mostly on taste memories, consequentially it was important to develop a good strategy for giving the consumer a product that could represent not only a “novelty” but also something that can become part of a common diet. In fact, one of the major problem regarding insects consumption is that it works very well for a single-try experience, but then it becomes hard to transform it in a habit.
Therefore, two main rules are important to be followed: first of all, for western consumers is important to not recognize the insect in the food. Visually it works way better to include insects it in a receipt as a flour or powder. Secondly, food coherence has to be followed: insects are mainly made of protein and fat, so it is considered as salty meat, and therefore the idea to include it in, for example, chocolate or generally sweets, could be seen as a non-sense.
Many brilliant ideas were presented in the contest, from proteic integrators for hard muscular training, to insect containing liquors, ideal for party games among students, like the traditional liquor “mezcal” that includes the maguey worm (Hypopta agavis) or the agave weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus) on the bottom of the bottle.
In the end the winner was “Crickerita”, a pizza containing in the dough a mexican cricket commonly known as “Chapulin” (gen. Sphenarium). The idea was brought by two Italian students and it was selected both for the simple feasibility and for the appeal that can have on the North American market.
Winners students received a voucher that can be used at the “organic shop” located few meters from the univesity. They will of course use the money to buy delicious insects and put their ideas in practice.
And the winner is…
Alberto Zamprogna
