Marianne Shockley, an academic professional associate in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ entomology department, was quoted in the Irish Times for an article about the consumption of insects.
Shockley said historically most of the research and interest in the practice has come from Mexico, Africa and Asia “as it is already part of their culture.”
The article focused on crickets, which are considered easy to farm and a good source of protein.
“If you compare beef to crickets on a one-to-one ratio, a gram of each contains the same amount of protein,” Shockley said. “But the advantage of insect protein is that it has added vitamins and minerals.”
There also are vegetarians who eat insects, according to Shockley.
Shockley told the publication that there is a Western stigma against consuming insects, primarily because people make too much of a connection between insects and disease. She said that a lot of education will be needed to overcome those beliefs.
