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Belgian supermarket has officially started selling a range of products that
contain insects, mainly mealworms. The Flemish country is the first EU state to
approve insects in food.
For
now, customers of the Belgian food retailer, Delhaize, are being offered two
varieties of spread based on mealworms: with tomatoes or carrots, RT reports.
Called
“Green Bugs”, the brand-new food looks nothing like traditional insects, which
for example Thai people traditionally sell and eat as a snack.
It
may be a can of worms, but there are no visible parts of mealworms and nothing
is moving. In fact, each product has between 4 and 6 percent insect content.
The carrot spread is 4 percent worms, while the tomato version has 6 percent.
"Mealworms
are chopped very well; it is not possible to see them with the naked eye,"
said Delhaize.
Cans
of “Green Bugs” spread look more like baby food or mashed vegetables.
“Products
made from insects are trending at the moment, and Delhaize wants to reaffirm
its role as a pioneer in the field of food retailing,”
said spokesperson Roel Dekelver, as cited by Flanders Today.
The
spreads cost €3.45 (US$4.45) for 125 grams (4.40 oz).
Belgian
food producer Damhert has also created an alternative to meat-based food. Its
product called Insecta offers schnitzel burgers and nuggets based on buffalo
worms. It will be available in stores starting October 1, with the exception of
three supermarkets: Colruyt, Aldi and Lidl.
The
buffalo worm was one of 10 insect species Belgium’s federal food safety agency
authorized for human consumption back in 2013, when it became the first EU
country to embrace insect produce.
Both
buffalo worms and mealworms are beetle larvae.
“There’s
nothing you can see to suggest there are insects in the product,”
assured Lisa Lamorgese of Damhert. “The
worms are first freeze-dried and then ground up. The rest of the process is
identical to the use of other meat substitutes.”
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