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4Ento Insect News Roundup May 2015 – Celebrities, Events, News, Videos and more

4Ento Roundup May - News, Events, Books, Videos

This month at 4Ento we have a whole range of new and exciting events, people, books, publications and videos for you to check out.

I have collected hundreds of interesting pieces of news this month, but have managed to distill it into one post so you can easily keep up with the latest and best in the Ento world.

This will be a monthly post on my blog, so if you want to keep up all the latest news, and my other posts, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter in the sidebar of this page –>

The information is broken down into sections and you can easily jump to the area you are most interested in using the Table of Contents on the right – just click on the links.

Let’s start the roundup with some celebrities who made the news this month for various reasons, but all of them related to insects, food and entomophagy in general.

Ento Celebrities

Kofi Anan

In the Guardian this month was an interview with UN Leader Kofi Anan. The article was titled: We must challenge climate-change sceptics who deny the facts

The former secretary-general of the UN answers questions on climate change, the Paris summit set for later this year and how ordinary people can make a difference and he mentions edible insects as a viable alternative for protein:

there are alternative sources of protein. For example, raising insects as an animal protein source. Insects have a very good conversion rate from feed to meat. They make up part of the diet of two billion people and are commonly eaten in many parts of the world. Eating insects is good for the environment and balanced diets.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek surprised her fans this month in a video of her eating a cricket. But as well all know, and she informed her fans, crickets in Mexico are a delicacy and are eaten on a regular basis. We are just not used to it.

But she is not the only one supporting insects, and even allowing their kids to eat them:

Angelina Jolie has previously said her children love snacking on crickets and Shailene Woodley has hailed bugs as “the future for food”.


Ento Innovation

Entopod

Getting people to indulge in insects is often a challenge, but if we pave the way with the right ingredients and some tasty snacks or meals then they are far more likely to open their mouths…and eat.

And this month there was a great article in the Irish Times highlighting an entrepreneurial young lady, Courtney Yule at Napier University, who has developed an innovative way to entice people to sample insect food. It is called the Entopod, and it is an insect shaped plastic pod which:

includes a grinder to make insect flour, detachable containers to heat food and an insect fondue set and Courtney aims to provide a simple way for people to experiment with insect-based recipes.

Take a look at her overview video if you want to get more of an idea of the device:


Ento New Comers

Coala Valley Farms

This month we see quite a few new comers on the Ento block, and the first one I want to highlight is Coala Valley Farms (yes, pronounced Koala).

What is interesting about Coala is that they are:

California’s first urban cricket farm. Built from the ground up by New England guys, Elliot, Max and Peter, and California native, Matt.

Their aim is to produce high-quality cricket protein powder to the community, something that we love to hear.

They have a kickstarter campaign to help get them going, so if you are interested in supporting the Ento community, I am sure they would appreciate it.

Bug Foundation

The Bug Foundation has a claim to fame that perhaps we are all interested to learn about:

We have been working more than one year on the perfect recipe for a delicious hamburger that is made of insects.

They are also the first German company to produce an insect-based burger. It is made of buffalo worms, and apparently delicious. I have not had the chance to taste it yet, but can’t wait!

HiSo Insect Snacks

And even in Thailand some members of the public need convincing that insects are the food of the future, despite the fact that much of the population eats them regularly. But a new food startup, HiSo (High Society) is taking a different approach by selling the insects in potato chip style packaging which educates people about the benefits of insects at the same time.


Ento Events

Nothing beats getting out of your office and meeting other people in your industry. So I also want to keep you up to date on the latest Ento Events that are going on. You might even see me at one in the future!

8th Annual Bug Festival – Austin, Texas, USA

When: June 6th from 5pm-8pm
Enjoy a hopping good time, with tasty treats and cooking demonstrations, all benefiting Little Herds.

Global Pestaurant Event – Queen Street, Cardiff, Wales, UK

When:  3 June from 11am–3pm 
Bugs and insects will be turned into culinary delights when Rentokil’s pop-up Pestaurant going places !

TED Talks of the Month

This month we have added a few must-see TED Talks to our every-growing catalog of Ento Videos.

Bugs For Life by Craig Macfarlane

“The world is facing a food crisis the scale of which truly begs the question “How to be OK in the future.” Craig’s answer may be unpalatable to many of us – insects.

The Co-Founder of Bugs for Life, Craig presents an unusual solution to the growing global food crisis – insects. Craig draws on his time studying bug-eating in Africa and South-East Asia to deliver this inspiring and entertaining talk.”

Entomophagy in our world by Charles Spence

“Professor Spence pinpoints that with the issue of global obesity crisis only getting worse the unorthodox solution may be moving towards widespread entomophagy. Maybe, it works for lowering salt in foods or perhaps using neuro gastronomy, focusing on pleasurable aspects. Charles addresses all these questions above in his great interactive speech.”

Entomophagy – Edibles Bugs are a Healthy and Sustainable Food by Wendy Lu McGill

“Wendy Lu McGill is concerned with the way we eat. She challenges us to take a hard look at our food chain and its impact on our environment. How? By eating insects. She addresses the fact that insects are an acquired taste and when you take into account the negative environmental effects of traditional livestock (and some of her incredible stats), you might just reimagine entomophagy.”


New Ento Publications

The following are some of the noteworthy publications in the Ento world this month.

Opportunities and Constraints for Inclusion of Insects in the Food Chain – Conference Paper by Paul Vantomme

Edible Insects as an Integrated Component of Sustainable Food Systems – by Afton Halloran

Potential of the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as an Unconventional Source of Dietary and Therapeutic Sterols by Xavier Cheseto et al.

The psychology of eating insects: A cross-cultural comparison between Germany and China by Christina Hartman et al.


New Ento Books

All Cricket, No BULL…: Cricket Flour Recipes from CricketFlours.com

“This book was inspired by our desire to bring some of our favorite family recipes to your kitchen using a sustainable and environmentally-friendly source of protein and nutrition: Cricket Flour.”

Edible insects in Africa by Josianne Cloutier et al

“…This Agrodok shows where to find, and how to collect and prepare, 10 different insect species from 5 groups: caterpillars, beetles, termites, grasshoppers and crickets. With the information in this Agrodok, Agromisa aims to contribute to the use of edible insects as a means to securing access to sufficient quantities of nutritious food.”

Edible Insects And Other Natural Sources Of Nutrients by Prima Yontrarak (article)

“Prima’s book, Edible Insects And Other Natural Sources Of Nutrients, focuses on the nutritional value of edible bugs, as well as their life cycles and cultivation. ”


Ento Podcasts

If you like listening and learning on the go, then these podcasts might be right up your alley! Here are two noteworthy Ento podcasts for May.

Time to Eat Worms – Insect Gastronomy with C-fu Foods – Food Startups Podcast

A chat with Eli and Lee Cadesky of C-Fu about insects, protein and sustainability.

Behind the Scenes with a B2B Industry Leader – Food Startups Podcast

A discussion with the founders of All Things Bugs.


See You Next Month…

I hope you enjoyed this month’s roundup of Ento related news.

Please share it with your fellow Ento lovers, so we can all enjoy, support and create a thriving Ento industry for all.

If you have anything you would like to add, please get in touch and let me know.

Ana

 

 

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