Insects on your plate
Content-Team SWICA
In Switzerland three species of insect are approved as foodstuffs: the mealworms, the cricket and the migratory locust. They may be sold whole, chopped or ground. Before insects are retailed they must be deep-frozen and additionally undergo heat or some other form of treatment to ensure they don't contain harmful germs.
Switzerland a pioneer
Switzerland is taking a pioneering role in Europe when it comes to selling insects as food. So far the EU hasn't approved insects for sale as foodstuffs. It's quite a different matter in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where people have been eating insects since time immemorial – and not just out of desperation, but because they're nutritious and taste good.
Protein source of the future
What do these creepy-crawlies actually contain? In food terms insects are comparable with meat, poultry or seafish. They contain plenty of protein; the mealworm, for example, is up to 50 per cent pure protein. The bodies of many insects are also a source of vital vitamins, unsaturated fats and minerals.Insects need hardly any space to live and less water than traditional sources of protein such as cattle and pigs. They're also more efficient at converting feed into goodness. This is why the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recommends that people eat more insects.
06.12.2017
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