Even though they are not yet part of our daily food, we all eat insects without realizing it. And the amount we ingest without our knowledge is quite astonishing…
It is sometimes said that we swallow a number of spiders when we sleep, but this is just an urban legend. Insects aren’t that stupid! Especially since the mouth is not a really attractive environment for them, due to the drool it contains and the breathing. What, on the other hand, about the insects present in our food? That’s a whole other question.
While there is more and more talk about eating insects to replace meat, this idea continues to put off many people who fear the little creatures or are simply disgusted by their appearance. However, researchers claim that we already eat a certain quantity of insects, more precisely between 500 g and 1 kg per year, and this without realizing it.
Despite all our efforts, plant crops will always contain insects, regardless of their origin or cultivation method. Therefore, everything we buy in a store or market – especially processed foods – contains very small amounts of insects.
Our food can attract certain insects such as beetles, psocci, food moths, small butterflies or cockroaches, which can hide in overripe fruits, cereals, legumes, compotes and jams. Who hasn’t already swallowed a worm while swallowing a cherry!
But insects can also sometimes fall into food containers, such as jars, cans, jars, bottles, etc. Prepared industrial foods are often manufactured and stored in large warehouses where, despite all the efforts made, there inevitably remains some unwanted. And this, despite all the efforts made and the hygiene standards put in place. The health authorities are also perfectly aware of this.
The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) also explains that “international food standards relating to cereals, pulses, legumes and vegetable protein materials prohibit the presence of whole live insects in flour or seeds. They nevertheless authorize a maximum of 0.1% of insect fragments per mass of ‘sample”.
Don’t panic though, no one died! On the contrary, insects are recognized for their nutritional properties and constitute an excellent source of proteins, fats and trace elements. Moreover, scientists recommend replacing the meat we eat with insects.
Indeed, raising pigs, chickens and other farm animals for meat is far too polluting and costly to feed the world’s population. On the contrary, insects consume very little water and food resources. It takes 10 kg of plants to produce 1 kg of meat, whereas 2 kg is enough for the same weight of insects. Especially since a farm of 12 crickets can produce 35,000 in just six months… Unless we become vegetarian, we will be forced, at some point, to take the plunge. As the great Simba would say, “a little gooey, but appetizing!”