Insects Are Being Used To Create An Edible Oil That Is Similar To Olive Oil
Insects Are Being Used To Create An Edible Oil That Is Similar To Olive Oil
The use of insects for manufacturing purposes is nothing new. Some of our favorite beverages and foods contain insect parts, and even the makeup that many women apply to their faces on a daily basis contains insect parts. Although you may cringe at the idea of eating insects, it is more than likely that you have inadvertently eaten insects in the past, as they often find their way into our foods, especially agricultural food products. For example, many foods and beverages use colorings that are made from cochineal insects. Not long ago, the well known company Starbucks ran into some controversy when consumers learned that they use these insects as a method of coloring their frappuccinos. However, the fact is that cochineal insects are used to color a variety of different edible items that are sold commercially. Now that edible insects are becoming acceptable in the west, many companies are beginning to use insects as ingredients in more types of food products. When it comes to the edible insect industry, very few countries have capitalized on the use of insects as much as Indonesia has. The Indonesian company known as Biteback uses insects during the production of butter and several bakery goods. Fatty alcohol extracted from insects is used in several cosmetic products made by the company. Now Biteback is producing an edible oil made from insects. This oil can be used as an alternative to olive oil.
Biteback can be considered an innovative company due to their environmentally friendly food production methods. For example, in order to raise worm larvae, the company converts garbage into cereal grains that the worms feed on. At this point everyone knows that insects provide a great source of nutrients, such as protein and fatty acids. However, insect dung on plants can be collected and used as fertilizer, and beetles can be used by pharmacists to make dressings or stick plasters. The most environmentally beneficial aspect of creating oil from insects is that deforestation for the purpose of palm oil production becomes unnecessary. Every hour, three hundred soccer fields worth of forested land is torn down to make way for palm oil plantations. By converting to insect oil, this rapid deforestation can at least be slowed down dramatically.
Would you be willing to switch to insect-based foods if it meant benefiting the environment?
