Eating Insects

WOW. My mind was officially blown by those two short articles posted on moodle. I had no idea people ate insects other than on the show fear factor. In the "Earwigs Tail", the chapter, the yogurt beetle, was when I first learn that "some of our favorite food contain insect extract," said Berenbaum. Berenbaum commented on the claim, "the food colorants cochineal and carmine are made from ground beetles." I was hoping she would prove this misconception false. Unfortunately, she just cleared up the misconception by naming the real source of food colorants, which is a scale insect, Dactylopius coccus.  Berenbaum also provided me with the lovely fact that the shinny coating on candies, pills, and capsules are derived from the resinous secretions of Kerria lacca, the lac bug. A fun fact I found on a renovation website is: it takes about 100,000 lac bugs to make 500 g of shellac flakes. http://laughingsunrenovations.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/how-little-bug-bodies-give-trim-that-warm-historic-look/

photo of a lac bug from laughing sun renovations

While reading the article by Mott, I could not believe that half the people in the world eat a variety of bugs. I really want to go see a movie in South Africa because I don't think eating ants would be as bad as eating a cicada. 

However, the comment, "It's estimated that the average human eats one pound (half a kilogram) of insects each year unintentionally," said by Lisa Monachelli, was when I started getting nervous. It was then when I realized my outlook on life was changed forever. I also want to have a chat with the FDA after reading this… 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also allows certain levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods, as long as they doesn't pose a health risk.For example, chocolate can have up to 60 insect fragments per 100 grams, tomato sauce can contain 30 fly eggs per 100 grams, and peanut butter can have 30 insect fragments per 100 grams (3.5 ounces), according to the FDA. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0416_040416_eatingcicadas.html

What I don't understand is how these insects are so resilient. I feel like the act of making peanut butter is not a gentle process. When I hear fly eggs I question if the author means these eggs are still alive or dead and just decaying in my tomato sauce? My chocolate usually looks so rich and smooth and beautiful. To find out it has insect fragments is so foreign to me. When I searched this topic, I came across a wiki site that provided the percent of "insect filth" in certain foods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Food_Defect_Action_Levels

I am still not sure what the definition of an insect fragment is but while searching so more I found this interesting recipe. 

110g high-quality dark chocolate

20 pieces crystallised ginger
20 dry-roasted crickets

Line a plate with parchment paper. Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at 50% power, remove, stir, and continue cooking at 50% power in 10-second increments, stirring after each burst, until the chocolate is melted.

Take a piece of ginger, hold a cricket alongside it and dip the bottom half in melted chocolate. Let the excess drip away. Place each chocolate-dipped ginger and cricket duo on the prepared plate and leave in the fridge until the chocolate sets. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/13/grubs-up-eating-insects

Anyway, I think the fact that I just took a 30 minute shower because before getting into the shower I saw a cockroach run down the drain, so I kept my eyes on the drain the whole shower, making it hard to wash and rinse me hair in a timely manor. I don't think I am going to be able to switch my diet over to insects no matter how much more eco friendly it is. That is not saying I wouldn't be totally against trying some of these insects, but I don't think I would chose any of them for my next meal.