In parts of Asia they’ve been on the menu for years whereas in the Western World people still tend to be somewhat sceptical when they come across them as food ingredient. Yet insects could, due to their nutritional value and especially because they’re an excellent source of protein, in future play an important role in feeding the world’s population – be it in the form of animal feed, e.g. in fish farming or as a food ingredient.
The EU project PROteINSECT, led by the UK’s Ministry for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, encourages the use of insects as a sustainable source of protein. As part of a student competition focusing on breakthroughs in this particular area, Simon Schantl from the Sustainable Food Management degree programme successfully took the lead, outshining his fellow international competitors with his concept ENTODRYA, a system for drying maggots. His drum dryer uses steam from a combined heat and power unit to dry the maggots, producing maggot flour, which subsequently falls onto a conveyor belt and is collected. The flour can be used as animal feed or in food products.
