While people may find the insects off-putting in their whole form, they may be more comfortable with them in powder form, said Mr Yuvanesh.
“We are trying to think of ways where we can introduce edible insect-based products in a way that people are comfortable,” he said, citing smoothies as an example that people may find acceptable.
CNA journalist Chloe Choo, who tasted a peanut butter and kale smoothie made with the powder, said that people are unlikely to taste the alternative protein’s presence in their drink.
BANKING ON ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN
The Singapore Food Agency may soon allow the import and sale of insects and insect products for human consumption and animal feed.
The agency said in October that 16 insect species have been reviewed for human consumption, including some types of crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, mealworms, moths, silkworms and honey bees.
The commercial farming of insects for human consumption and animal feed has been promoted by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in recent years, SFA noted.
In Singapore, home-grown cricket farm Future Protein Solutions is ready for alternative protein to be the next big thing.
At the farm located in Lim Chu Kang, crickets are frozen, boiled, cleaned and dried. To do that more efficiently, the farm is eyeing nearly full automation, as it scales up operations.