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A couple of folks I helped mentor at a Startup Weekend founded a company called Anteater. I’m not much of a believer in a western culture change that will see

A couple of folks I helped mentor at a Startup Weekend founded a company called Anteater. I’m not much of a believer in a western culture change that will see us eating whole insects like we’re living in dystopian Soylent Green. But I can see protein powder derived from insects being palatable for western audiences. But can it be produced profitably at scale? I’ve eaten a bug on a stick streetfood in Cambodia, I’m not a fan.

baybal2 8y ago
>But I can see protein powder derived from insects being palatable for western audiences. In early nineties Russia, one brand of instant noodles immensely popular. A translator made an error on its packaging, translating "soy protein" as "insect protein" and it was there for, I think, like 3 or 4 years. And for those 3 years, Russians genuinely believed that those brownish-pinkish crumbs inside were something of insect origin. Yes, but they still ate it.
- chriselles 8y ago
  That’s really interesting. I wonder if the macho factor like often seen with extra hot sauce comes into play with such labeling?
InitialLastName 8y ago
> I’m not much of a believer in a western culture change that will see us eating whole insects like we’re living in dystopian Soylent Green How much of a change is it, really, from [0]? [0] https://www.foodandwine.com/seafood/shellfish/13-best-places-eat-crab-in-maryland-summer https://www.foodandwine.com/seafood/shellfish/13-best-places...
- chriselles 8y ago
  Good point! Marketing for lobster changed from a food for poor folks to food for rich folks over time. Maybe a name change too. Like what happened with the seriously ugly Patagonian Toothfish remarketed as Chilean Sea Bass.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
I think Anteater is an interesting company. Unfortunately I never got round to actually talking to them, despite working in the same building a few times. It seems that their business model is to target high end restaurants and work down from there. Their product is more of a garnish than an actual food. They really need to work on their website too.
- chriselles 8y ago
  Admittedly I was quite biased and kept asking about the palatable protein powder. They’ve had success with high end restaurants like Roots. Not sure how big a market it is. Agreed that garnish is a good way of describing it. Accessory rather than core.
- chriselles 8y ago
  Some good folks on the team. Two founders still in it. They won slots on the last Edmund Hillary Fellowship cohort. Profitable industrial scaling of insect protein and any other nutrients/byproducts will be interesting to watch. Particularly any insect bioengineered for food/chemical manufacturing. But I suspect NZ will NOT be the place for genetic engineering of insects.

baybal2 8y ago

>But I can see protein powder derived from insects being palatable for western audiences. In early nineties Russia, one brand of instant noodles immensely popular. A translator made an error on its packaging, translating "soy protein" as "insect protein" and it was there for, I think, like 3 or 4 years. And for those 3 years, Russians genuinely believed that those brownish-pinkish crumbs inside were something of insect origin. Yes, but they still ate it.

chriselles 8y ago
That’s really interesting. I wonder if the macho factor like often seen with extra hot sauce comes into play with such labeling?

InitialLastName 8y ago

> I’m not much of a believer in a western culture change that will see us eating whole insects like we’re living in dystopian Soylent Green How much of a change is it, really, from [0]? [0] https://www.foodandwine.com/seafood/shellfish/13-best-places-eat-crab-in-maryland-summer https://www.foodandwine.com/seafood/shellfish/13-best-places...

chriselles 8y ago
Good point! Marketing for lobster changed from a food for poor folks to food for rich folks over time. Maybe a name change too. Like what happened with the seriously ugly Patagonian Toothfish remarketed as Chilean Sea Bass.

toomanybeersies 8y ago

I think Anteater is an interesting company. Unfortunately I never got round to actually talking to them, despite working in the same building a few times. It seems that their business model is to target high end restaurants and work down from there. Their product is more of a garnish than an actual food. They really need to work on their website too.

chriselles 8y ago
Admittedly I was quite biased and kept asking about the palatable protein powder. They’ve had success with high end restaurants like Roots. Not sure how big a market it is. Agreed that garnish is a good way of describing it. Accessory rather than core.
chriselles 8y ago
Some good folks on the team. Two founders still in it. They won slots on the last Edmund Hillary Fellowship cohort. Profitable industrial scaling of insect protein and any other nutrients/byproducts will be interesting to watch. Particularly any insect bioengineered for food/chemical manufacturing. But I suspect NZ will NOT be the place for genetic engineering of insects.