Reference News Network reported on February 5 According to Japan's "Yomiuri Shimbun" reported on February 4, insects are attracting attention as a new generation of ingredients. Food security is becoming increasingly important due to the world's increasing population, climate change, the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In Japan, major companies are also entering the field of insect food, and the industrial base is expanding. However, there are many people who are resistant to insect food, and how to popularize it is still an issue.

In places such as Nagano Prefecture in Japan, there has been a tradition of eating locusts since ancient times. Recently, the cultivation of production insects has become popular, just like the cultivation of fish.

According to the Research Institute of the Japan Management Association, the world's insect food is expected to reach 100 billion yen by 2025, from about 7 billion yen (about 50 million U.S. dollars) in 2019.

The insect food industry is booming against the backdrop of heightened concerns about the food crisis due to climate change and population growth. According to the United Nations, the world's population will reach about 8.5 billion by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050. However, there is limited land to produce food, and the lack of protein is a particular concern. In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) proposed insect food as a solution to the food shortage, and the work was officially launched.

Insects have a high nutritional value, are raised faster than domestic animals such as cattle and pigs,and have a lower load on the environment. It also provides 1 kg of protein, and it takes 10 kg of feed to produce beef, while it only takes 1.7 kg of feed to breed mealworms. Compared to animal husbandry, mealworm farming does not require a large area of land.

Mealworms are not only high-quality high-protein food, but also their larvae contain more than 50% crude protein,and are known as the "king of protein" among insects.

However, the insect food industry also faces challenges. There are many people who are averse to the insect food program. In November last year, the company surveyed 1,000 people between the ages of 20 and 60 and asked respondents whether they were resistant to eating insect food. The results showed that 88.7% of the respondents said they would "absolutely avoid it" and "try to avoid it".

Insect food will become more and more accessible to eat. In 2020, the company that operates MUJI began selling biscuits with insect powder, and in 2021 it added them to chocolate. In appearance, these foods are completely reminiscent of insect food. There are already insect food vending machines in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. Specialty stores specializing in insect food have also appeared.

Akihiro Iijima, a professor at Takasaki University of Economics, pointed out that insect food has great potential from the perspective of sustainable food production. To make people fully acceptable, it is necessary to have rules that reassure consumers and develop attractive products.