There are plenty of good ways to get your protein and for some, it comes in the form of crickets: the other green meat.
Around 2 billion people regularly eat insects as part of their diet, and over 1,900 species are actually edible.
Maybe you’re not one of the 2 billion people who consume bugs on a daily basis, but thank heaven for 7-Eleven, you can now buy "Crick-ettes".
The colorful boxes, packed full of cricket goodness, are yours for the munching for $2.69 in three different flavors. Maybe you have a hankering for bacon and cheese flavored crickets, or perhaps you’re in the mood for sour cream and onion, or salt and vinegar.
"Hotlix", the company that produces "Crick-ettes", sells various kinds of snacks and candies made with bugs. They also offer "Larvets". We probably don’t need to go in to detail as to what those are – the name says it all.
You may be surprised to find out that you already eat them! If you take a look at the FDA’s Defect Levels Handbook, you get an eye-opening idea of just how many insects you’ve been ingesting. But just in case you don’t want to wreck your next meal or have time to study the FDA’s book, here’s a quick look at some of the normal every day items that may be affected:
Are you a beer enthusiast? The acceptable limit of insect infestation in hops is 2,500 aphids per 10 grams. Canned fruit juices are allowed up to 1 maggot per 250 ml, curry powder is allowed up to 100 insect fragments per 25 grams, and chopped dates are allowed up to 10 whole dead insects. As you can imagine, the list goes on and it’s very lengthy. The thought of eating insects shouldn’t bother you, because you’ve been eating them for years – you just didn’t realize it!
Meanwhile, here at News 5, we need a sip of coffee to wash away the little legs stuck in our teeth.
