6 ms·

Insects are most efficient btw, but there are cultural reservations about them in the west.

by est31 8y ago

zcid 8y ago
I looked into raising crickets, but most of my research suggested that they aren't any more efficient than chickens. It seems that a lot of the studies we currently have are poorly done or not transferable to mass production. In addition, the amount of extra work for processing crickets made the project less than optimal at least for a small operation.
kibwen 8y ago
If Silicon Valley can propel nutrient sludge like Soylent into notoriety, then I'm sure it can do the same for cricket nuggets. :P
- renholder 8y ago
  >...like Soylent into notoriety... As long as it isn't green. =]
- benj111 8y ago
  Doesn't require Silicon Valley. Pink slime can now be sold as beef mince in the US. How hard do you think it would be to get powdered cricket labelled as 'protein enhancer' or some such? Plus people will happily eat things with cochineal [1] in it, so I can't see highly processed insect additives being a problem. Won't be called Cricket nuggets though. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal
Cthulhu_ 8y ago
They could grow insects to process into unrecognisable "filler", right?
- int_19h 8y ago
  It's already done, and has been for ages - dried crickets can be ground into "cricket flour". This takes care of the things crunching while you eat them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_flour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_flour
tropo 8y ago
We have the same cultural reservations about shrimp. We do not normally eat the head, tail, exoskeleton, legs, gills, or poo-filled gut. It's pretty similar for chicken; nobody eats the feathers and beaks and poop. Shrimp is nevertheless popular however. We simply remove the parts for which we have cultural reservations. So, where can I get insects that have been properly prepared, just like shrimp?
- int_19h 8y ago
  Even in Western countries, this varies. For example, in many European countries, there are various dishes involving small fish that's cooked and eaten basically whole, with intestines and all. Examples include Baltic sprats (usually smoked and then canned in oil), or Bulgarian tsatsa (same fish coated in flour and deep fried). Both are delicious, by the way.
- yesenadam 8y ago
  >nobody eats the feathers and beaks and poop. Well..chicken feathers and poop are fed to cows which are fed to people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter#Use_as_cattle_feed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter#Use_as_cattle_f...

Insects are most efficient btw, but there are cultural reservations about them in the west.

by est31 8y ago

Insects are most efficient btw, but there are cultural reservations about them in the west.

zcid 8y ago

I looked into raising crickets, but most of my research suggested that they aren't any more efficient than chickens. It seems that a lot of the studies we currently have are poorly done or not transferable to mass production. In addition, the amount of extra work for processing crickets made the project less than optimal at least for a small operation.

kibwen 8y ago

If Silicon Valley can propel nutrient sludge like Soylent into notoriety, then I'm sure it can do the same for cricket nuggets. :P

renholder 8y ago
>...like Soylent into notoriety... As long as it isn't green. =]
benj111 8y ago
Doesn't require Silicon Valley. Pink slime can now be sold as beef mince in the US. How hard do you think it would be to get powdered cricket labelled as 'protein enhancer' or some such? Plus people will happily eat things with cochineal [1] in it, so I can't see highly processed insect additives being a problem. Won't be called Cricket nuggets though. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal

Cthulhu_ 8y ago

They could grow insects to process into unrecognisable "filler", right?

int_19h 8y ago
It's already done, and has been for ages - dried crickets can be ground into "cricket flour". This takes care of the things crunching while you eat them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_flour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_flour

tropo 8y ago

We have the same cultural reservations about shrimp. We do not normally eat the head, tail, exoskeleton, legs, gills, or poo-filled gut. It's pretty similar for chicken; nobody eats the feathers and beaks and poop. Shrimp is nevertheless popular however. We simply remove the parts for which we have cultural reservations. So, where can I get insects that have been properly prepared, just like shrimp?

int_19h 8y ago
Even in Western countries, this varies. For example, in many European countries, there are various dishes involving small fish that's cooked and eaten basically whole, with intestines and all. Examples include Baltic sprats (usually smoked and then canned in oil), or Bulgarian tsatsa (same fish coated in flour and deep fried). Both are delicious, by the way.
yesenadam 8y ago
>nobody eats the feathers and beaks and poop. Well..chicken feathers and poop are fed to cows which are fed to people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter#Use_as_cattle_feed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter#Use_as_cattle_f...