Most people must have thought they were hard of hearing when Prof. Chukwunenye Anene on Tuesday, advised Nigerians to replace bush meat with insects. He cited the Ebola Virus as a reason for his suggestion as insects pose a low risk of transmitting zoonotic diseases such as the H1N1 (Bird Flu) and BSE (Mad Cow Disease). No one is ever likely to suffer from “maggot flu” or “mad termite disease “

Bug eating (Entomophagy) may be nauseating for some but it is not a new tradition. The ancient Romans and Greeks dined on insects. Pliny, the first-century Roman scholar and author of Historia Naturalis, wrote that Roman aristocrats loved to eat beetle larvae reared on flour and wine.

Aristotle, the fourth-century Greek philosopher and scientist, described in his writings the ideal time to harvest cicadas: “The larva of the cicada on attaining full size in the ground becomes a nymph; then it tastes best, before the husk is broken. At first the males are better to eat, but after copulation the females, which are then full of white eggs.”

Today, many cultures still eat bugs but predominately parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

With cost of living in Nigeria skyrocketing, meat is already a luxury item for many. The federal government is not making it easier by trying to ban sale and consumption of hides and skin (ponmo), which will result in a meat gap that they are not willing to fill.  Price of fish is bound to increase, as there will be more demand for it.

A more practical solution would be to fill the meat gap with insects which presently, most Nigerian’s are using to supplement their diet though they would not admit to it due to the connotation of poverty and hardship however, this is a common misconception as eating bugs should have nothing to do with a person’s status.

Not only is there low or zero risk involve in Entomophagy, bugs provide high-quality protein nutrients comparable with meat and fish-Dried maggots contain 50% protein and are less fatty.

Bugs are particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children because most insect species are high in fatty acids

Insects are also rich in fibre and micronutrients such as copper, Iron magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium and zinc.

The United Nations endorsed insects as a sustainable, nutritional food source in a paper released at the end of last year, and countries looking to the future have taken note. The European Union is currently funding a £3million maggot lab at the food and environment research agency in York, UK where scientists are working to solve worldwide food shortages and prevent the catastrophic famine projections of 2050 if global food production is not increased by 70%.

Suggestions have been made that insects could fill the imminent protein deficit facing Europe. Maggot-based meals could be as common as rice and stew in 20 years.

Insects are sustainable to farm, requiring a lot less water, land and feed than other animals.

If you are still having reservations about eating insects, do note that you might have consumed them at some point in your life unintentionally. According to Harvard medical entomologist Rick Pollack,

“Virtually everything we eat has bugs (entire or parts) within”


http://tribune.com.ng/sunday-zest/item/16516-insects-could-be-food-of-the-future

Oh boy see lem