Insects as alternative for protein? Research being conducted on students aged 5-11 in Wales

New Delhi: 

In a bizarre experiment that is being carried out among the students at the primary school in Wales has left a lot of people in astonishment. This comes following a decision of conducting an experiment among the students at primary schools. 

The experiment is being done by academics at the Cardiff University based in the United

 Kingdoms. The research is being

spearheaded

by Dr 

Christopher Bear.

As per the experiment, children of four primary schools will be offered insect protein during workshops to gauge youngsters’ appetite for ‘alternative protein’ sources in food supplements. The children will be given a food product known as VeXo which is a combination of insect and plant-based protein. 

The product in appearance resorts to the look of conventional mince which is one of the staple food choices in the west. 

Aim of such an experiment

The aim of this experiment is to make note of the change in children’s attitudes to environmental issues. Subsequently they will try to figure out how such changes are going to impact the food they eat.

As per the researchers the data obtained from the experiment will help them learn what are the best ways to educate the children regarding the nutritional and environmental benefits of eating creepy edible insects- such as crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms, locusts, and mealworms. 

The research is focused on children aged between 5 to 11 years in the primary schools as well as their teachers in Wales. The aim remains the same for both the subjects (teachers and students).

The researchers aim to study any changes in the natural meat-eating habits of an average citizen based on the ripples created in their nutritional and environmental circumstances by the means of introducing a new food alternative.

The lead of the research team is Dr Christopher Bear. He told the WalesOnline that, “We want the children to think about alternative proteins as real things for now, rather than just as foods for the future, so trying some of these foods is central to the research. Although edible insects are – for now – not sold widely in the UK, they form part of the diet of around 2 billion people worldwide.”

He further said that “Much of this is in parts of the world where they are part of long-standing culinary traditions. And they are increasingly popular elsewhere.”

These questions remain unanswered

-Will the people who have traditionally chosen chicken, goat, fish, pork, or beef will be able to switch to something which induces disgust at mere sight of it? 

-Will south Asian countries switch their dietary intake of various nutrients if the West seemingly initiate a trend?

-Is global food crisis going to be the foundation of change in dietary staples? Will humans’ resort to a mental transformation for eating something as unconventional as insects?

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