Bugs, It's Whats For Dinner

I called this around six years ago. "Entomophagy is the wave of the future," I said. Sure enough, a bit more of a buzz is growing around eating things that squirm, chirp or buzz. Beta Hatch is a company based in Seattle who was justed funded to the tune of over $2 million for their "sustainable protein" which is intended primarily as animal feed in this case.

As the tides turn, however, I think we'll see more insects on the menu. China is working on programs related to entomophagy as a means to cheaply develop healthy, protein-rich food sources. Last year a study on the "utilization and prospects" of edible insects was published and next week is the 2018 Edible Insects Conference in China. Some brave souls on the cutting edge of nutrition and fitness have already taken the plunge as well. A handful of companies exist already where you can purchase cricket flour, dried insects and other insect-based food products.

Health and cost-consciousness aren't the only issue here though, of course. As with Beta Hatch, the idea of doing the environment a favor and funding interesting research products is a short and long-term goal as well. For now, Beta Hatch is working on partnering with Texas-based EVO Conversion Systems to research black soldier flies. They hope to apply technologies related to the black soldier flies and incorporate that in their work.

<blockquote>"We are very excited to apply our insect ranching technology with other species, and to expand our feedstock options by working with black soldier fly. Mealworms, our foundational insect, grow in a dry production system and can eat a wide range of organic byproducts, but these feedstocks need to be dried first. Black soldier flies are another species grown for feed, but in a wet production system. Our ranch technology has been designed to be species agnostic to accommodate all kinds of insects and maximize their potential for recycling organics in the food system. We are excited to learn more about black soldier flies through this partnership with EVO."</blockquote>

Source:

http://www.feedstuffs.com/news/beta-hatch-closes-funding-round