Anna Caplan
European diners enjoy a good steak, and they’ll eat sausage, fish or chicken with abandon. But burgers made of mealworm larvae?
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That’s a tough sell, but a supermarket chain named Coop in Switzerland is trying it out. Seven of its 2,500 Swiss stores are selling the item, which is made of about one-third larvae. The smallish-patty, which weighs about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) has about 10 grams of protein. The burgers are also said to contain “little white specks of rice inside with traces of carrot, paprika, chili powder and pepper.”
The chain is pushing the food as a nutritious option that “preserves the planet’s resources.” They also said the food has “been flying off shelves during their limited rollout in the Alpine nation and a broader launch is planned by year’s end.”
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Authorities say it is the first time a major business in Europe has “authorized human consumption of insects in such a firm, explicit way in Europe,” according to Christophe Derrien, chief of the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed.
