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Comment by zerofor_conduct

1 day ago

Ynsect-crushing reality - nobody really wants to eat bugs

Yet most people over a certain age probably have without realising. Haribo, Tropicana, lots of fruit juices, sweets and dairy products used Cochineal.

People do however both keep pets and eat animals that eat insects, which is what the company was aiming for.

I would happily eat cricket protein if it were more scalably environmentally sustainable. I’m fine with milk, but cows aren’t helping our greenhouse sitchu.

Not to mention the issues with pea protein and lead content.

  • What are the problems with pea protein and lead?

    • A recent investigation by Consumer Reports found that plant-based protein powders, particularly those made with pea protein, contain significantly higher levels of lead compared to animal-based alternatives, with over two-thirds of tested products exceeding safe daily lead intake levels.

And here are some of the reasons why:

1. high risk of severe allergic reactions and cross-reactivity

2. contamination with pathogens, toxins, and heavy metals

3. digestive and nutritional drawbacks, including anti-nutrients (no pun intended) and imbalances

4. and last but not least, the good old precautionary principle: limited research on long-term human health impacts and emerging hazards

if you still want to eat zee bugz, consider yourself warned !

  • I don't understand why everyone involved didn't immediately realize especially the first two of those whys. Eating bugs at scale is such a surefire way to get everyone allergic to random stuffs.

    And it's not like it was never tried. There are tribes and cultures that do it at tiny scales, which means humans used to do it and quit at some point in the past. It's removing not an insignificant Chesterton's Fence.