Source: iStock Each year, the world population increases by 70 million people. At this rate, the population will reach more than 9 billion people by 2050. As the number of human beings on our planet spikes, so does the demand for animal protein. But with 30% of the total land on earth already being used to raise livestock, the prospects of producing enough animal products to feed the entire population is looking bleak. [...]

The first US Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded research program into insect farming for human food has commenced in the US, with the target of finding new ways to enhance cricket growth while lowering the cost of raising them. A $100,000 grant from USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research program will allow Georgia-based cricket flour producer All Things Bugs to study how to increase automation in the rearing of crickets. The focus of the project, in particular, [...]

Insects - the edible variety - were a hot topic at IFT this year. High in protein, low in saturated fat and rich in omega-3, iron, calcium and other nutrients, house crickets are gaining the most traction, although mealworms are also attracting interest, said All Things Bugs founder and CEO Dr Aaron Dossey. Food Navigator Article

Diets at the best of times are always a bit of a struggle and the fact that we can now incorporate insects as a good source of protein, won't really diminish that pain. A group of scientists who met this week at the IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation, a conference on the science of food, decided that creepy critters could solve the world's growing demand for protein. Read Full Article

With a growing demand for protein, and the lack of new farmland to raise more livestock, speakers at a symposium in Chicago suggested insects could become an attractive alternative to animal protein sources. Meatingplace reports the discussion took place during the 2015 Institute of Food Technologists. Founder of All Things Bugs, LLC Aaron Dossey told the group that with a raising population and increases in protein demand, “insects are a very nutritional alternative.” Read Full [...]