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How crickets are bred for food
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Cricket flour: how to produce it for food purposes
The world is facing an unprecedented food shortage. In the coming decades, the world population will rise again, and then there will be no more food for everyone. That is why many are pushing to start introducing insects into the daily diet. We are of course talking about the Western world, since there are already more than 3 billion people on planet Earth who eat insects in all forms every day. However, due to psychological and cultural fears, they are still not eaten in the 'First World'. Some companies are now experimenting, and in Europe it can already be traded, with cricket meal, a way of consuming insects (which are a high protein food) without having to eat them whole. But how exactly is cricket meal produced?
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The life cycle of crickets
Before understanding how they are bred, it might be interesting to learn about the life cycle of crickets. The life of these insects is divided into 3 stages: egg, neanid and adult. Generally, this cycle lasts 2 to 3 months when reared at 25-30°C. The eggs hatch about 13 days after laying. The small neanids, initially only 1 millimetre long, grow rather quickly and perform 6 to 12 molts. The neanids become adult crickets after 6 to 8 weeks.
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Why cricket breeding is important
The cricket is only one of the 2000 species of insects that can be eaten in the world. In fact, it is a high-protein food rich in vitamins and minerals and its breeding can mitigate the pollution produced by animal farms. Specifically, raising crickets produces 10 times less methane and 300 times less nitrous oxide than raising livestock, plus it requires fewer resources such as water, feed and soil.
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The parameters for raising crickets
There are also real laws, or rather guidelines, on cricket rearing. Temperature and humidity influence the healthy development of the cricket and also how long its life cycle will last. The minimum recommended temperature is 25°C, but a temperature close to 30°C would be even better. As far as humidity is concerned, it is best to keep it below 50%. Space is also important; crickets should be fairly large and not crammed together, to avoid disease, cannibalism and death.
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Breeding in Thailand, Vietnam and the West
The breeding methods are very different, ranging from the family farms typical of Thailand, to the more professional ones of Vietman to the huge and technological ones of the West, with Holland and Canada leading the way as producer countries. The difference is that in Western countries, crickets are bred in the same factory and flour is also produced, which is how crickets are and will be consumed in the West. In fact, it would be very difficult to get Westerners to pass on the idea of eating fried insects, all whole, as has been the case in Asian countries for a very long time now.
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How cricket will be consumed in Europe
Today, the drying and grinding of powdered crickets is the first step towards turning edible insects into a modern ingredient. Apart from the lower environmental impact, crickets are actually a very good food. Cricket meal is in fact made from 100% dried crickets ground into a high-protein powder. In fact, crickets contain 69% protein and unlike vegetable protein, cricket protein is complete and high quality, containing all essential amino acids. Crickets also contain fibre and minerals such as calcium and iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.
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What the flour will be used for
Cricket powder is designed to form part of the composition of many everyday foods, especially pasta, bread, sauces, snacks and more. It is odourless and tasteless, so it will not alter the taste of foods, but it does greatly increase their nutritional value. Allergy sufferers, however, must be careful, for example those with allergies to crustaceans, molluscs and dust mites. In this case, house crickets can cause allergic reactions.
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