Eating a bag of bugs or fried crickets may be a cause for concern, but evidence suggests that many people will change their minds in the coming years.
In 2019, Barclays predicted that the insect industry would be worth $8 billion by 2030. The latest data from analysts Research and Markets shows that the insect market will grow at a double-digit rate per year, with insect production reaching 1,398,862.6 tonnes between 2020 and 2027.
Investments in the alternative protein market, including insects, grew from €173 million (US$209 million) in 2015 to €2 billion (US$2.415 billion) in 2020.
As interest in climate-friendly food grows, emissions from insect farming are rising. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, insect farming produces 1% of the emissions of producing the equivalent amount of cattle or pigs.
In January this year, the European Union issued a landmark ruling that mealworms are safe for human consumption, which will undoubtedly boost the industry.
As a pioneer in insect recipe development, Better Universal Grub (BUG) hopes to answer the question of how we can ensure that we no longer have meat on our tables and incorporate more sustainable sources of protein into our diets. The menu features recipe kits and tips for fried crickets, carbonara and salad, as well as buffalo worm falafel and mealworm apple crisp.
Founders Aaron Thomas and Leo Taylor initially self-funded the company when they set it up during the UK’s first national lockdown last year, but are now raising capital to enable the company to grow, outsource manufacturing and ramp up marketing.
They are close to securing the £200,000 ($279,000) investment they were seeking. The duo also plan to launch another crowdfunding campaign on CrowdCube in March.
Industrial designer Thomas Constant founded Beobia in 2019 with the aim of creating a product for home food production with minimal environmental impact.
He has invented a tabletop insect farm. Made from recycled bioplastic, it is a closed-loop production system: the insects feed on composted plant waste; after a few days of growth, they become food for humans. The insects’ excrement can be used as fertilizer for plants, thus closing the loop. One input corresponds to two outputs.
The project launched in August last year and reached its initial Kickstarter fundraising goal of £5,000 ($6,966) in seven hours.
By the end of the Kickstarter campaign, the amount raised had more than quadrupled its original goal to £22,000 ($30,650).
The startup hopes to raise a new round of funding in early spring with the goal of expanding into new markets.
Small Giant cookies contain 15% cricket flour, which gives them an umami flavor and is high in protein and vitamin B12.
The company recently struck a deal with British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s to supply two flavours: rosemary & thyme and tomato & oregano. It is one of the few insect brands currently stocked on the shelves of major UK supermarkets.
The company, formerly known as Crické, was founded in the UK in 2019 by Francesco Maino and Edoardo Imparato.
Since then, the company has raised £150,000 ($208,980) in funding, allowing it to rebrand and expand its product range. The new Small Giants model was launched last November.
Founder Ross Bell drew on his interest in bushcraft and travel, as well as his experience in the food and drink industry, to create the Kric8 online store.
Before the pandemic, the four-year-old shop traveled to food fairs selling insect-based pasta and edible insect merchandise, including hats and posters.
Bell told Insider that he has seen significant growth in the edible insect market over the past two and a half years.
He added that from a supply standpoint, it was now easier to get the raw materials needed to make the product, as new farms in the UK had increased insect production. Previously, he had to import crickets from Canada.
He hopes that in future his products will appear on the shelves of British supermarkets and other distributors.
Snack brand Crunchy Critters was founded in the UK in 2011 and was originally inspired by the Jungle Food auditions, where contestants on I’m A Celebrity, Save Me were forced to eat a variety of disgusting foods in front of an audience.
The range of packaged products has been rebranded in recent years and now includes chocolate and fruit flavoured mealworms, paprika and spice flavoured mealworms, baked bean and pea flavoured salt and vinegar mealworms and a cricket, locust and insect flavoured mealworm mix aimed primarily at children.
Eat Grub was launched in 2013 as a proof of concept to see if insects could be successfully introduced to the UK market. The project was inspired by a business trip to Malawi and used insects as a complete superfood as a launch platform.
In 2014, the company launched a five-course insect tasting menu in east London, selling 500 in five days. The company subsequently developed a culinary range for Planet Organic and began developing energy bars later that year.
Over the years, the brand has developed a range of products, including roasted crickets and insect powder.
In 2018, the product began selling in the British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, and in 2019, a deal was reached with the German Lidl, where about 200,000 units have been sold to date.
In Pembrokeshire, Wales, there is a 100-acre farm built to put sustainability research and advances into practice.
The restaurant is run by Dr. Sarah Benyon, best known for her restaurant Grub Kitchen. At Grub Kitche, you can order insect-inspired dishes such as crispy fried chicken in cricket flour, cricket baklava, mixed insect burgers and mealworm hummus, or black ant garden cake.
Before the outbreak, the agency also offered children activities that allowed them to get up close and personal with insects and hold tiny invertebrates.
It also houses a dung beetle research centre, and plans are in place to supply native dung beetles to farmers and horse owners to replenish their populations.
The farm has won several awards, including the Pembrokeshire Tourism Authority’s Most Exciting New Business Award in 2018.
Horizon Edible Insects, a London-based farm, was founded in 2013 as a result of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – an academic achievement award scheme for British schoolchildren – and is dedicated to growing and developing new products and recipes.
Before the pandemic, the eight-year-old company ran cooking classes and food fairs to promote sustainable insect farming.
Their current recipes include mealworm donuts, curry cilantro donuts, mealworm burgers, and muffins.
The growth in business has sparked interest from restaurants in selling the insect burgers, and the owners hope to start selling them to more restaurants in the near future.
The company told Insider that they have seen increased interest from the culinary community as sustainability issues come to the forefront, and are considering expanding their locust production.
Danish brand Hey Planet was born during a trip to Tanzania, where one of the founders first tried fried grasshoppers.
The company now makes protein bars with organic dates and nuts, with each bar containing more than a tenth of buffalo beetle powder. Their recipe calls for about 500 beetles to fit into one protein bar.
During the coronavirus lockdown, the brand began selling snack gift sets that can be sent to friends or family with a personalized message.
The store offers a wide range of chocolate snacks and healthy energy bars made from cricket and beetle protein.
Those who like something spicy can try the cricket-flavoured crispbread. The brand is run by a small team, who also offer their services as speakers at events and corporate seminars.
American brand CHIRPS produces a range of products, including cricket-based protein shakes. The shake powder comes in a variety of sizes and includes chocolate and vanilla flavours.
The brand was founded in 2013 by three college students and gained public attention when it appeared on the reality show Shark Tank in 2017. Shark Tank is a show where young companies pitch their products in hopes of attracting investors.
At the time, the company struck a deal with American billionaire Mark Cuban to buy a 15% stake in the company for $100,000.
Post time: Feb-11-2025