Crickets are the future of protein at U of M’s Great Minnsect Show

The Great Minnsect Show on April 18 drew thousands of people to free educational activities, including an insect petting zoo, maggot racing and watercolor painting with maggots, but the star of the show this year is cricket foods.

Sujaya Rao, a professor emeritus in the entomology department at the U of M, helped start the event in 2019 to showcase the wonders of bugs.

Rao and her colleagues made brownies and other treats from crickets. She said insects offer high protein content without the environmental impact of cattle farming,

The idea of insects as a food source has gained traction in the U.S. since the United Nations released a report in 2013 promoting human consumption of insects to combat food insecurity, according to Rao. With nine billion people projected on Earth by 2050, she said people will need to look for alternatives to animal-based products.

Story by Feven Gerezgiher
Video by Tony Xiao

Видео Crickets are the future of protein at U of M’s Great Minnsect Show канала MPR News