“We bought Turkmen cockroaches and cooked them in the microwave.”

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A person is omnivorous, can absorb proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins from any food: plant, fish, animal and other products, including insects. In some countries, insect food is a delicacy; in others, insects form part of the daily diet. In 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization recognized insects as the food of the future.

.
And also, according to this organization, 2 billion people in the world already eat insects
(every 4th).

Entomophagy - the inclusion of insects in the diet and their consumption is practiced by many peoples.

In which countries do they eat insects?

List of countries where insects have been eaten for centuries:

• Asian countries: Thailand, China, Japan, Cambodia, North and South Korea
• African countries: Botswana, Ghana, Uganda
• Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea
• In the Americas: Mexico, some US states, Brazil

Now in Europe, an increasing number of people are starting to add insect dishes or supplements to their diet. For example, residents of Africa, having moved to Europe, do not want to give up their favorite dishes made from caterpillars; indigenous Europeans are also starting to try food with added insect protein because of the benefits. Many European farmers are switching from traditional livestock farming to insect production. And there are two directions here:

• insects as food for humans
• insects as animal food

In Russia, food made from beetles is also gaining popularity: some tried it in Asia while traveling and order similar food online, others use our AdalbaPro supplements to enrich their diet with high-quality protein. Also in Russia, development is already underway for the production of food additives based on locusts to be added to dairy products or sausages, also to increase the nutritional value of products.

If you think that you have never eaten insects, then you are most likely mistaken, because one of the popular food dyes, carmine, is made from ground cochineal beetles. Carmine is added to many products: donuts, ice cream, yogurts, muffins, drinks. Carmine is an absolutely natural, human-edible dye. It is not always designated on packaging as carmine, sometimes E120, “crimson lake”, “natural red four”.

What happens if you swallow a cockroach

Swallowing an insect is not such an out of the ordinary event. A precedent can happen to anyone while running, laughing, roller skating, even while talking, a bug can fly into the mouth. The likelihood of eating a live cockroach, even if proper attention to sanitation and hygiene at home, is low.

In most cases, a swallowed insect is not a cause for much concern. It is hypothesized that the Prussian eaten is nothing more than an additional portion of protein. This may be true, but the fact that you had to eat a live parasite is unpleasant in itself. The domestic cockroach is neither clean nor picky in its eating. His habitat is far from the standard. Once in the human stomach, a live cockroach carrying many bacteria on its legs and body can cause the following diseases:

• diphtheria;
• tuberculosis;
• hepatitis;
• dysentery;
• salmonellosis and other troubles.

Important!

Serious consequences are possible for people who have eaten a live red deer and are allergic to certain proteins that make up the body of arthropods.

Why eat insects?

• Insect food is nutritious, rich in excellent protein, and provides the body with the full range of amino acids it needs.
• insects require much less care than animals, while at the same time they give greater weight gain than mammals and birds over the same period.
• there is no need to feed insects with various growth-accelerating preparations (which, in principle, do not exist for insects), insects do not need to be watered with herbicides and nitrates.
• Huge diversity in taste: 1462 species of edible insects for humans currently inhabit our planet.

We have prepared a top list of edible insects. So, what insects can humans eat?

What to do if you accidentally swallow a cockroach

Once in the oral cavity, food is coated with saliva, which is an enzyme for digestion and a special “lubricant” for easy sliding down the esophagus. If the insect is not sufficiently treated with the substance, then it will not be possible to swallow a live cockroach. The body will instantly react to a foreign object with a gag reflex. The eaten Prussian will not have time to reach the stomach and will fly out of the mouth with other food.

What to do if you accidentally had to eat a live cockroach:

• rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• take disinfectant (absorbent) drugs.

It is necessary to respond in a timely manner to the appearance of parasites in the apartment. Modern insecticides, as well as other techniques, will quickly get rid of dangerous pests. Compliance with basic food storage rules will provide reliable protection for a person from an unpleasant incident.

Beetles

Eating bugs is a trend in Europe because...

• environmentally friendly
• without GMOs and additives
• healthy
• nutritious
• tasty

We have a separate large article about various beetle foods. In it we also wrote about mayweed soup, mealworm larvae, and buffalo beetle powder.

Starting from 2022, you can already buy food made from beetles in Russia.

Dessert “Unusual”

It's very easy to prepare. Melt the chocolate bar over low heat or a water bath. Place cockroaches on a toothpick and dip into hot chocolate mixture. The result is unusual candy with an exotic filling reminiscent of crunchy nuts.

Cockroaches in chocolate

We can conclude that cockroaches and cuisine are inseparable concepts. While people have been unsuccessfully fighting some varieties for many years, others are quite successfully bred to be used as food. Of course, such dishes, as they say, are not for everyone, but, according to numerous reviews, they are very tasty.

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers have been eaten for a long time; they are very tasty and healthy.
Grasshopper food is very popular in Cambodia, in Missouri (US state). Fried grasshoppers taste like fried potatoes with a sweetish, creamy sauce. It is recommended to eat fried grasshoppers while they are still hot, seasoned generously with red pepper, lemon juice, soy or fish sauce. Grasshopper legs are edible, but they are very long and difficult to swallow. Avocado pulp is an excellent side dish for fried grasshoppers. Very tasty grasshoppers are obtained on skewers. Important!

• Grasshoppers are not eaten raw because of the parasites that sometimes live in them.
• If you are going to catch grasshoppers yourself rather than buy them, then do it in areas that have not been treated with pesticides.
• Some people are allergic to chitin, which is found in the shells of grasshoppers.

Grasshoppers are rich in protein, phosphorus, and calcium. They eat plant foods and are easy to grow. In Europe, they have already begun to eat grasshoppers; standards have been developed for labeling insect food; grasshoppers in the form of powder or flour

.
Grasshopper flour
is used in restaurants in Europe and can also be bought in stores; it has a great nutty taste.
In terms of the amount of protein it is comparable to beef, only it has even more iron and is cheaper to breed! This flour is produced on specialized farms where grasshoppers are fed specially formulated healthy food and kept in clean, hygienic conditions. Grasshopper meal
is rich in protein, contains no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, and is highly nutritious and contains vitamin B12 and iron.

Grasshoppers are prepared from flour

• Energy bars
• Snacks. In Finland, you can find snacks made from whole grasshoppers with various spices in stores.
• Grasshopper bread that tastes like regular crusty bread, but is rich in protein
• Cookie
• Pancakes
• Paste
• Sauces

also eat grasshoppers for dessert.

in dark and white chocolate.

Features of cooking Madagascar cockroaches

This species is one of the largest representatives. The darker the color of the insect, the older it is. Unlike our unwanted neighbors, Madagascar cockroaches do not have wings. This type of insect is absolutely safe for humans. When it sees danger, it presses itself to the ground; it is almost impossible to grab an insect from above. In captivity, these insects live up to three years, in the wild no more than one and a half years.

In older individuals, the shell becomes lighter. One female carries about three dozen eggs.

Before consumption, it is necessary that the insect undergoes good heat treatment and chew the specimens thoroughly. These measures are taken to make it easier for the stomach to cope with unusual food. Chitin is not digested by the human system; if there is too much of it, gastric obstruction and even death may occur.

Doctors do not speak out against eating insects. Their composition characterizes cockroach dishes as dietary and healthy food. The main thing is to cook correctly and consume only species specially bred for nutrition.

Author of the publication

offline 3 years

Nika

18

I am interested in hiking and traveling, photography and videography. I have been going hiking since childhood. The whole family went and went - sometimes to the sea, then to the river, to the lake, to the forest. There was a time when we spent a whole month in the forest. We lived in tents and cooked over fires. This is probably why I am still drawn to the forest and, in general, to nature. I travel regularly. About three trips a year for 10-15 days and many 2 and 3 day hikes.

Comments: 0Publications: 668Registration: 10/23/2018

Nika Survival in the wild, Nutrition in the wild, Articles

Crickets

Sverchkov

They are easy to grow, grow quickly and contain beneficial nutrients: fatty acids, calcium, iron and even vitamin B12.
In Finland, the Fazer concern released the first bread with Fazer Sirkkaleipä crickets
.
The manufacturing process is the same as for regular bread, only cricket flour is added to wheat flour
.
One loaf contains 70 crickets, but this is only 3% of the weight of the bread, you can’t feel them, only the bread becomes richer in proteins. At first, Fazer purchased cricket flour
from the Netherlands, but
cricket farms
and the company switched to local raw materials. In 2012, there were 20,000 farms in Thailand raising crickets for food. There are also such farms in Laos and Cambodia. Now there are more and more cricket farms, but there are still not enough of them; the demand for cricket products is growing.

An easy way to start eating crickets is with cricket protein bars

,
cricket chips
.
The American company SixFoods produces chips made from cricket flour under the Chirps brand in three flavors: sea salt, cheddar and BBQ. In the USA, cricket bars are produced by Chapul and Exo; the crickets are hidden inside the product and are not felt at all. Both brands use Entomo Farms cricket meal, which is made on a farm in Canada. Also in Canada, they produce cricket protein powder
for Crik Nutrition protein shakes.

Can a cockroach survive in the stomach?

If you accidentally eat a cockroach, the first thing it does is enter the esophagus. A person will not feel the movement of the whiskers or paws of a living parasite, but will get the impression that a piece of an unchewed apple has been swallowed. Once in the stomach, the insect finds itself in an aggressive acidic environment that can easily dissolve the food it eats. A live cockroach, under the influence of gastric juice, should break down into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. But Prussians have a durable chitinous shell, which will remain resistant to digestion for a long time.

The absence of tactile endings in the stomach will relieve a person from the sensation of the presence of a live insect in the stomach. There is a high probability that it will suffocate from lack of oxygen during the digestion process.

Food from silkworm larvae

Gypsy moth larvae

or
Witchetti grubs
have always been a traditional food of the Australian Aborigines, they cooked them either over an open fire or by roasting them in coals. When cooked, the maggots taste like scrambled egg-flavored nuts with soft mozzarella cheese wrapped in puff pastry. Some gourmets eat them alive.

Silkworm larvae are popular in Asia

, whose caterpillars feed exclusively on mulberry leaves. They are considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China and are very healthy and nutritious. In Korean cuisine, they are used to prepare the popular dish ppondegi, which consists of larvae steamed or boiled in oil and spices. In Japan, silkworm larvae are served as tsukudani: boiled with seaweed in a marinade of soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar. In the Indian state of Assam, boiled pupusas are eaten with salt or fried with chillies and herbs and eaten as a snack.

Miniature ecosystems in which the larvae will grow and develop can become a virtually inexhaustible source of animal protein.

Protein (protein) content of silkworm larvae

• 10-17 g of proteins per 100 g.

How to poison cockroaches if you have a cat at home

Initially, before baiting insects, you need to clean the house, wash the floors, furniture with detergent, and eliminate leaks in the pipes.

Cockroach repellents that are safe for animals, including cats:

• Gel is a chemical product that can be used in an apartment where there are children and cats. The gel should be applied to baseboards, dark places inaccessible to animals, under the sink, in the trash can, near counters and pipes. The main thing is not to forget that you do not need to apply the gel to easily accessible places for animals and children.
• Boric acid - The best homemade insect repellent. Boric acid is mixed with egg yolk, a spoonful of sugar is added, mixed thoroughly and rolled into balls. Afterwards they are laid out in places where pests live. This mixture does not harm humans, but if a cat eats this product, it can become poisoned, so you need to be careful. You should do the same with acid as with gel, pour it where there is no access for animals. A killed mustachioed pest does not harm the health of the animal or family members.

As a result, I would like to say that there is no absolutely safe means of combating insects. Any product contains poison and can harm your pet. Therefore, when processing a room, do not forget about the personal safety and safety of all residents of your apartment.

Sources

• https://KlopSOS.ru/tarakany/mozhno-li-est/
• https://apest.ru/tarakany/1-info/21-chto-budet-esli-sest/
• https://pest-destroy.ru/nasekomye/cockroach/19-udivitelnyh-faktov-o-tarakanah/
• https://mir-tourista.ru/statyi/vyzhivanie-v-dikoi-prirode/pitanie/tarakany-kak-gotovit.html
• https://netzhukam.ru/tarakany/tarakany-v-kvartire/koshka-i-tarakany.html

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Fly food

flies

edible in both larval and adult states.
They are rich in protein. Snipe flies
were also eaten by the Indians living in what is now California. The flies laid their eggs on vegetation overhanging the water stream and then died themselves. The Indians blocked the stream and shook off this mass of dead insects, which they caught with baskets. Flies were cooked in ovens and served cold; a dish made from flies was called cucciabi. This mass could be cut with a knife.

And in the north of Canada, the Dogrib Indians ate gadflies

(a family of parasitic dipterans from the infraorder of round-stitch flies). Gadflies laid larvae in the skin of deer, which were bred by the Indians for meat; the Indians either squeezed the larvae out of the skin, or ate the deer along with the gadflies in the skin. In Africa, too, if a killed large animal is infected with larvae, the larvae are not removed and the animal is eaten along with insects.

In Hawaii they eat fruit with fruit fly larvae.

, fruits with such larvae are less sour.

In Asia they eat fried rice with fly larvae.

.
Boil the rice, fry the larvae, add finely chopped garlic, pieces of pepper, season with fish and soy sauce, shallots, spring onions, coriander and sugar. Mayflies
are eaten in Mexico .

In Italy, on the island of Sardinia, Casu marzu is made - cheese from unpasteurized goat milk with live cheese fly larvae.

Piophila casei is essentially rotten cheese with worms.
The top layer of pecorino cheese is cut off, and the cheese fly
lays its eggs in it. The emerging larvae eat away the inside of the cheese, and the acid contained in their digestive system decomposes the fats in the cheese and gives it a specific softness. Some of the liquid, lágrima, even flows out.

In Sardinia, casu marzu is considered an aphrodisiac and is traditionally eaten along with fly larvae; casu marzu is safe to eat only while the larvae are alive.

The fly larvae reach 1 cm in length and can jump out of the cheese by 15 cm. Lovers of casu marzu often eat this cheese with glasses or in the form of a sandwich, which they cover with their hand so that the jumped out larva does not get into the eye. Some people still prefer to eat this cheese without fly larvae. A piece of cheese or a sandwich is placed in a bag and closed tightly, the larvae suffocate and vomit out, when the shots inside the bag end, the cheese or sandwich is taken out, and all the larvae remain in the bag. Casu marzu cheese does not meet the hygienic standards of Europe and was banned; for a long time it could only be bought on the black market; in 2010 the ban was lifted and, moreover, the cheese was recognized as a cultural heritage of the island of Sardinia.

What cockroaches can you eat?

There are more than 4 thousand species of cockroaches, and only a small fraction of them are parasitic forms and pests. This also applies to our home species. Most often, Madagascar cockroaches, one of the largest species, are used for this exotic (at least for us) food. They are also called hissing for the characteristic sounds they make.

Both scientists and chefs do not recommend eating our home-grown red Prussians, since they are not good for health. Not only does the Prussian eat literally everything, but he also crawls in the sewers, where pathogens are infested. If such an insect is swallowed alive, you can get a lot of troubles like E. coli and other diseases, and in addition, it will try to get out, which is also unpleasant. Therefore, if there is a child in the house at an age when babies put everything in their mouth, it is necessary to urgently get rid of domestic insects. If a cockroach accidentally falls into a pot or frying pan, then after heat treatment there will be no harm from it. And if you see it on your plate, it’s your own business - eat it or throw it away.

By the way, despite the name, the Prussians have nothing to do with Prussia; they were brought from South Asia - and that is why they are so sensitive to the cold. Few people eat them at all, and if your cat or dog caught such a cockroach and tasted it, it is only because they are obligate predators, that is, they experience a primitive desire to hunt. The domestic cat actually hunts mice for the sake of the process itself, and not for food.

But all sorts of exotic pets like lizards, scorpions or large spiders love to feast on cockroaches - but, again, not all of them. For these pets, live large barbel beetles are purchased as food in special pet stores.

The vast majority of other cockroaches are edible. But they must be properly processed before you start cooking.

Cockroach food

Cockroaches are a very ancient insect; the largest cockroaches live in Africa and reach a length of 15 cm. For centuries, cockroaches have been eaten in Madagascar, South America, China and other Asian countries, and now cockroaches are bred on special giant farms. 100g of cockroaches contains the same protein as 100g of chicken breast! The most popular dish made from cockroaches is, of course, fried cockroaches, they turn out dry and crispy, and taste like crispy chicken skin: tough, crispy, only not so greasy and with a different aftertaste. Good as a snack, as an addition to vegetables or salad.

Fried cockroaches recipe No. 1

• Dry the cockroaches in a colander or with a towel/napkins.
• Pour oil into a frying pan, heat it up.
• Place 3-4 chopped garlic cloves and add 0.5 tsp. rosemary, lightly fry the garlic.
• Fill the cockroaches so that the oil completely covers them, cover with a lid.
• Fry for about 5 minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Place fried cockroaches on paper towels to absorb excess fat.
• Season the finished cockroaches with fine salt to taste. >

Recipe for fried cockroaches No. 2

• Place the cockroaches on a dry, heated frying pan.
• Put 150g of butter on top, sprinkle with grated garlic, add red and black pepper, add salt,
• Stir and fry uncovered over high heat for 5-7 minutes.

Before cooking, we recommend cooling the cockroaches in the freezer for about an hour; they will fall asleep and will not jump out of the pan. Then it is necessary to rinse to remove dirt and strong odors; remove paws, antennae, shell; Rinse again and dry the insects on a towel.

Cockroach bread

, perhaps in the future it will appear on store shelves, because in Brazil they created
flour from cockroaches
, and it is rich in protein, lipids and essential amino acids; cockroaches are used to produce flour, which are bred in accordance with hygiene requirements.

Protein (protein) content of cockroaches

• 21.4-23.4 g of protein per 100 g.

How to cook cockroaches

This type of insect has been living on our planet for a very long time - at least two hundred and fifty million years. Nature has rewarded them with a complex body structure that is able to adapt to almost any external environment . The eye consists of two thousand lenses, unlike the human eye, which has only one lens. It senses the world around it with the help of small hairs on its legs. With the help of their whiskers, they distinguish odors, and with the help of processes at the back - movement.

As a cockroach grows, it sheds its old shell several times throughout its life. In addition, this insect can live without air for about an hour.

The largest species of these insects live in Africa. They can reach fifteen centimeters in length.

Cockroaches can live without a head for about a week. This is due to the peculiarity of the structure of the brain - in them this organ is distributed throughout the body, so the death of a headless cockroach occurs from hunger and thirst or an accident.

Unlike other human “companions”, such as fleas, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and others, the cockroach does not have a strong association with any infectious disease. Despite this, modern man treats these insects with contempt, which is explained by the latter’s favorite habitats.

In total there are almost four thousand species of these insects. Indeed, those cockroaches that live in the vicinity of humans should not be eaten, however, other species have long been eaten. It has long been known how long a person can live without food, and now many scientists assume that these insects will help people survive in the future and provide them with food.

Caterpillar food

Caterpillar meat

rich in proteins, iron, zinc and calcium. The edible caterpillars have a neutral taste, similar to dried tofu or tea leaves. They are usually served with fried onions or used in soups, sauces and porridges. Today, dried, smoked or pickled caterpillars are sold in supermarkets and markets.

The African caterpillar is popular among edible caterpillars.

mopane peacock butterflies (Imbrasiabelina), these caterpillars are also called
“ mopane worm ”
. This caterpillar lives in southern Africa and feeds on the Mopane tree. In Zimbabwe, caterpillars are specially moved closer to home to make them more convenient to collect; there are special farms that breed these edible caterpillars for sale. The “harvest” of caterpillars is collected manually. In order for the caterpillars to be stored for a long time, their insides are removed either by simply squeezing them in the hands or by cutting them lengthwise, boiled in salted water and dried in the sun. Mopane caterpillars do not have a special taste (like dried tofu or dried wood). About 9.5 billion caterpillars are collected each year. The collection season for mopane caterpillars coincides with the Christmas holidays, so many South Africans have dishes made from this caterpillar on their Christmas table. The meat of these caterpillars is approximately 4 times more expensive than animal meat. Africans who moved to Europe do not want to give up their favorite mopane dishes, so France imports 5 tons of fried caterpillars per year, Belgium imports 3 tons.

Dishes made from Mopane caterpillars:

• fried caterpillars. Caterpillars are fried until crunchy along with onions
• stewed caterpillars. Served as meat with a side dish, usually corn, and sauce.
• smoked caterpillars. Smoking gives them a special flavor.
• dried caterpillars
• various caterpillar sauces
• chips
• pates
• pickled caterpillars (sold in iron jars)
• soup

They also eat other edible caterpillars in Africa. There are 38 different species eaten in the Congo. And in Thailand, China and Latin America, the caterpillar of the butterfly Omphisa fuscidentalis, which is called nonmaiphai " bamboo worm
", is popular.

Fried bamboo worms have a neutral taste; when fried, the liquid disappears, and the caterpillars turn out dry and crispy, somewhat similar to popcorn, and are very nutritious. For many Thais, fried bamboo worm caterpillars are a great way to start a meal, just like we would have with a salad or soup. Traditionally, they are collected by cutting bamboo stems, now there are special farms that grow these caterpillars, the caterpillars are dried and sold in bags as chips, such chips are also sold in Europe.

Edible caterpillars are also popular in Mexico; for example, the Indian peoples of the Mexican state of Chiapas eat caterpillars of 23 species of butterflies. A particularly popular edible caterpillar is the moth larva

, which lives on agave, Comadiaredtenbacheri and Aegialehesperiaris.
Caterpillars are usually served in a tortilla, fried or stewed, seasoned with hot sauce. They also consume larvae of the agave weevil
Scyphophorusacupunctatus. In Mexico, they also make mezcal (tequila is a variation of it) from fermented agave juice. After bottling, a moth or weevil larva is added to this drink, called a “worm.”

Protein (protein) content of caterpillars

• 28g. proteins per 100 g.

In Japan, they eat hebo, that is, wasp larvae and pupae.

.
Boiled wasps taste like honey. Water bugs
are eaten in the Philippines and Thailand; water bugs taste very similar to crab meat.

Cat and cockroaches

Almost every home has pets, and more than once people have asked the questions “How does my cat get along with cockroaches?”, “Are cockroaches dangerous for cats?”, “Do cats eat cockroaches?”

Felines are hunters, so they can eat flies, bugs and cockroaches. For this reason, in ancient times, cats began to be allowed into their homes; they rid the house of rats, mice and harmful insects.

The big problem is that neighbors can poison mustachioed pests with toxic substances; in order to escape death, they can run into your house. And your pet will want to feast on a new victim, but a poisoned cockroach can have a detrimental effect on your cat. Therefore, experts recommend warning all neighbors about insect poisoning before disinfecting the premises.

What to do if a cat ate a poisoned cockroach?

• Run to the veterinary clinic to have your pet's stomach cleaned.

If it is not possible to contact a veterinarian, you should rinse the stomach yourself:

• Dilute a small ball of entorosgel in water and feed the solution to the cat through a syringe.
• Grind half a tablet of white coal with water and give it to the animal.
• It is not recommended to feed your pet for 8-10 hours, just give it water.
• Dilute smecta with water, as written in the instructions, and give the cat through a syringe in small doses.
• Activated carbon at the rate of one tablet per 10 kg. A piece of tablet must be mixed with a small amount of water and administered through a syringe into the animal’s oral cavity.
• Give a solution of potassium permanganate.

Bread, bars, functional food

Among the scientific developments of Gennady Ivanov is the creation of food additives and medicines for humans based on fly biomass. Insect biomass can be used, for example, in making bread. Its cost will increase by about 6 rubles, the scientist claims, but intestinal function will improve, and the bread will not spoil for up to 10 days. If the lipid (fat) part of the larva can be divided into fractions, then you can most likely get a replacement for sunflower and butter. “When using such products as food, the risks of atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease are reduced by at least 10%,” Ivanov is sure. He also sees potential in using black soldier fly larvae to extend product shelf life. It also contains the amino acid arginine, which a person usually receives from mother's milk during breastfeeding. The same compound has been developed for pine nut baby food. But if you compare a pine nut with a fly larva, then the latter contains seven times more of this compound. Thus, the black soldier fly is also suitable for making food for children.

While Gennady Ivanov is only planning to produce insect food products, Sergey Shinkarev claims that his company is already a supplier of raw materials (up to 200 kg monthly) for partner Russian enterprises that produce functional and specialized food. These are mainly suspensions, crispbreads, and bars, which are sold both in the Russian and Asian markets. “We conducted studies that showed the absence of toxicity of this product, bacterial damage, it does not contain any pathogenic microbes, and at the same time it has certain functional features,” assures Shinkarev.

Belarusian entrepreneur Sergei Makarov also intends to conquer the Moscow market with his products. His ONTO-Biotechnologies (Moscow region) processes about 4 tons of cricket per month (raw materials are supplied from the company’s division directly involved in cultivation in Belarus). Previously, the company worked with other types of insects - cockroaches, mealworms, and zoophobass. But now I focused on crickets, since the documentation was prepared specifically for them. The company produces primarily canned crickets for animal feed (reptiles, rodents, freshwater turtles, insectivorous mammals). Some of it is processed into flour. In the near future, ONTO-Biotechnologies plans to begin producing food products (protein bars, chips and crispbreads) with the addition of entomoprotein. “We are currently finalizing the recipes and preparing marketing,” explains Makarov.

The biomass of fly larvae can be used as a raw material for the production of functional protein products for human nutrition, confirms Alina Osmakova. Typically, this involves adding insect meal (which is 70% protein) to standard ingredients for the production of chips, bars, and cookies. In the future, it is planned to introduce some raw or dry larvae into minced meat or sausages instead of meat or as a replacement for soy flour. Larval biomass is also used as a valuable raw material for the pharmaceutical, microbiological, cosmetic and food industries. “The complex technology for processing larval biomass makes it possible to isolate many physiologically active substances - chitin, antimicrobial peptides, a complex of fatty acids, organic forms of minerals, hormones, etc.,” Osmakova knows. — Isolated peptide fractions from the larval hemolymph showed high antiviral and antifungal activity, as well as effectiveness in models of cancer and diabetic diseases. In addition, the biomass of larvae is a natural product that does not contain or contain antibiotics, hormones, etc.”