Alan Brough

… The leaders of the World Economic Forum have suggested that crickets might be a good, high- protein option, and, of course, the media has embraced the idea. They have flooded both the mainstream channels and social media with every positive aspect they can on the topic to convince us that it might be not just a good idea, but, according to the likes of Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman it is a very trendy and fashionable one.

… So, while crickets might seem, at least according to the first ten pages of any Google search on the topic, to be a high-protein, low-calorie wonder food, any serious consideration for regular ‘non-emergency’ consumption appears to be full of dangers. These unknowns include new cross-species viruses, mycotoxin outbreaks, fungal poisoning and of course the dark unspoken implications of ‘you are what you eat!!’

… This point about being adapted to eat or not eat certain things is an important one. It would take several hundred years, if not thousands of years to adapt our digestive systems to changes in our diet such as the sustained and high volume introduction of insects and bugs. To be successful this would need to be done with tiny incremental changes over scores of consecutive generations. It can’t be done quickly. Mmmmm unless perhaps the intention is to actually cause harm…?