Mealworms, the larval form of the yellow beetle, have been cooked with sugar by researchers who discovered the result is a meat-like flavor that could one day be used in foods as a source of protein. While mealworms have until now been mainly used as pet snacks or as fishing bait, they have the potential as a food source for humans to help obtain the recognizable flavors of meat without the harmful effects on the climate, as well as direct air and water pollution. , of raising beef, pork and other animal feed. “Insects are a nutritious and healthy food source with high amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and high-quality protein, just like meat,” says In Hee Cho, a researcher at Wonkwang University in South Korea who led the study. . “Many consumers like and seriously need animal protein in our diet. However, traditional livestock production produces more greenhouse gas emissions than cars. On the other hand, insect farming requires only a fraction of the land, water and feed compared to traditional animal husbandry.” Cho said edible insects such as mealworms and crickets have long been “superfoods” enjoyed by communities in Asia, Africa and South America. However, people in Europe and North America are generally more reluctant to eat insects, despite recent forays by many restaurants and supermarkets to offer insect options to consumers. Researchers hope that using mealybugs as a meat-like seasoning can help bridge that gap. The new study, which will be presented at the American Chemical Society this week, found that flavors were released when mealworms were heated with sugars, with the proteins and sugars interacting and caramelizing into a range of meaty and savory flavors. . Different cooking processes produced different results, the researchers found. Steamed worms give off a kind of sweet corn-like aroma, while the baked and fried versions bear a closer resemblance to shrimp. A panel of volunteers were used in smell tests to ascertain the most meat-like favors from those manufactured. Global food production is responsible for about a third of all greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, with animal farming for meat accounting for the majority of these emissions. Grazing and feeding animals consumes about 80% of Earth’s agricultural land, with everything from burping cows to mass deforestation of the earth’s forests to make way for planet-warming pastures. Scientists say avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, although meat-eating remains popular in the West and is now gaining ground among an emerging wealthy class in China and India. Insects, which can be raised in huge numbers in small spaces with a fraction of the pollution of traditional meat, have been cited by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization as a potentially valuable source of protein to feed a growing world population expected to surpass 9 billion people by 2050.
