At the San Juan market, one of Mexico City’s best-known markets, both tourists and locals alike fix their curious eyes on the various foods displayed on the stalls of some of the stalls: aphids, insects, worms, small spiders fried or chocolate-covered scorpion. A diverse gastronomic menu consisting of native insects and other arthropods, as well as exotic species such as the Madagascar cockroach. is a sign that it is. insect consumption It could be the diet of the future.
if in the world There are about 1,681 species of these invertebrates suitable for feeding.Mexico has almost a third of them. “We’ve reported as many as 605 species in our catalog,” says biologist José Manuel Pino Moreno, who specializes in entomology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who has devoted himself to his research for over 40 years.
This country is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of edible insects. For years, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends consuming these animals as a way to combat hunger. and other conflicts of a social economic nature.
The climate crisis is affecting food security in many parts of the planet, with increasingly frequent and intensifying droughts and floods causing ongoing problems in the global supply chain, particularly in low-income countries.
According to research published in the journal Science last January, Insect farming not only helps alleviate the above challenge, but also supports emerging economies.. In fact, in 2015 the European Commission identified some insects as a new food under regulation and recently gave the green light to commercialization of insects. acheta petHE home cricket.
While most Western countries somewhat reject this culinary alternative, in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, eating insects is a tradition that is part of their cultural heritage. In Mexico, for example, the tradition of entomophagy is deeply rooted and bed bugs, moths, ants, wasps and termites, among others. “There are also products made with them, such as sauces, salts, dressings or ice cream,” Pino notes.
“There are about 1,681 species of these invertebrates suitable for diet in the world”
Advantages of these animals, most dominant group in the world and conquerors of nearly all existing habitats, from oil puddles to remote salt mines, are plentiful. According to its consumers, insects are clean, tasty, safe and nutritious: excellent candidates to complement other diets. Their breeding does not require a lot of resources, especially compared to meat production.
An alternative with environmental and health benefits
Maintaining intensive industries such as agriculture or animal husbandry means disruption of ecosystems. The reproduction of insects with high nutritional value, which take up little space for their production, consume little food, do not generate greenhouse gases and is part of the eating habits in many parts of the world.
Large-scale livestock farming requires enormous amounts of space, feed and water. “Continuing industries like agriculture or livestock means a high environmental impact that we can no longer assume”, says the UNAM expert. As a recently published study ScienceThe carbon footprint of raising meat for human consumption is estimated to exceed 7,100 million tonnes of CO2; anthropogenic greenhouse gases given ones. Similarly, according to FAO estimates, the world population will be 9.7 billion by 2050. To feed so many people, the world will need to switch to low-cost production and intense food sources.
As the entomologist explains, although they cannot replace vegetables in a balanced human diet, they can be used to supplement it. They are rich in protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and calories. “One hundred grams of insect contains 67 proteins, and one hundred grams of meat contains 33 proteins. all insects exceeds the contribution of corn, wheat and chicken” points out the expert, who has spent years analyzing the close chemical composition of this group of animals, comparing their nutritional values with those of traditional foods.
“Unlike traditional livestock farming, insect farming emits no greenhouse gases, requires little space and little feed”
“Throughout their daily use in the lab, we noticed that not only did they provide a lot of protein, but the insects did as well. significant amount of fat. For example, we discovered that maguey worms and stick worms contain fatty acids such as oleic acid, which are very beneficial for our health,” warns Pino.
Some insects are also rich. B group vitamins, tropical vegetables, vitamins C and A are absent. And others are found in certain minerals, such as flies that provide calcium or termites that provide phosphorus. For example, domestic crickets have high iron and zinc content. Moreover grasshopper, small Mexican locusts, one of the most consumed insects. The southern, central and southeastern states of the country are its main producers. “It’s like Oaxaca, where these animals are collected and sold year-round,” the biologist says.
Known for having one of the best cuisines in the nation, this state is one of the states with the most insect diversity in the diet of rural communities that consume bees and bumblebees. Grasshopper, red maguey worm, and chicatana ant sauces, as well as salts to which cayenne pepper is added and mezcal is tasted. In this region, they also eat ahuatle, the egg of the water beetle known as axayácatl.
Consequences of an emerging industry
Although the FAO strongly supports the consumption of insects, it is very cautious about the importance of hygienic conditions for their cultivation. These animals may also become contaminated or present allergens that trigger severe reactions. “Specific legislation, along with labeling rules and regulations, is still required for efficient production, marketing and export in food supply chains,” Pino warns.
“Insects are sold for human consumption without knowing their composition or where they are mined and stored.. Failure to check the safety of manufactured products throughout the entire conversion chain can lead to a major health concern,” he continues.
For example, these insects feed on corn and alfalfa for the reproduction of grasshoppers. If these crops contain pesticides, grasshoppers can have harmful compounds that can make people sick.
Pino points out another risk to this emerging industry. The international market is expected to grow by 20% to 30% annually. “We already know what happens when it’s produced on a large scale. So it’s a great control over extraction this happens naturally. “If you start removing insects without any criteria or control, we can kill them, cause them to disappear,” he warns.
Reference article: https://www.agenciasinc.es/Reportajes/Consumo-de-insectos-la-dieta-del-futuro
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]