While the thought of eating beetle larvae will make most people's stomachs churn, that scenario may soon be a reality if the Dutch have their a way. Researchers from the Netherlands are proposing that mealworms are a sustainable food alternative to meats such as chicken and beef.
Mealworms are the larvae of the Tenebrio molitor, a type of darkling beetle species. They are used as bait and pet food, but it's still pretty hard for most people to imagine chowing down on a nice heap of beetle as a snack.
The study, published in PLoS One, states that the demand for animal protein will rise by 70-80 percent by 2050. In order to find a more sustainable source of animal protein, Dennis Oonincx at Wageningen University in the Netherlands tried to see how mealworms' impacted the environment versus more conventional sources of meat. The end result? Mealworms are more enviro-friendly.
"Production of one kg of edible protein from milk, chicken, pork or beef result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, require similar amounts of energy and require much more land. This study demonstrates that mealworms should be considered a more sustainable source of edible protein," reads the study.
The mealworms were found to use more fossil energy, but made up for it with less greenhouse gases and less land usage.
"With land availability being the most stringent limitation in sustainably feeding the world's population, this study clearly shows that mealworm should be considered as a more sustainable alternative to milk, chicken, pork and beef," the study concludes.
What do you think about eating a mealworm burger at your local fast food restaurant?