Welcome back to The Tamnation Gilsey Podcast, where we float on the detritus of modern culture—sometimes literally, sometimes, well, metaphorically. Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s been crawling its way into the headlines: edible insects. Yeah, bugs on the menu. I know, I know—if you’re already making a face, you’re not alone. But--stick with me, because there’s a lot more to this than just shock value.So, entomophagy—that’s the fancy word for eating insects—has been getting a lot of attention lately, especially from organizations like the World Economic Forum. They’re pitching bugs as a sustainable protein source for the future. And honestly, when you look at the numbers, it’s hard to argue. Insects require way less land, water, and feed than cattle or pigs. I suppose feeding the insects to cattle and pigs makes too much sense--we can get into that later. They produce fewer--so called-- greenhouse gases, and they can be farmed vertically, which is a big deal if you care about food security and the environment--at least that's the pitch they are selling. We can get into the environmental stuff another time.I remember my first real encounter with edible insects. It was at a tech conference in San Francisco—of course, right? There was this booth handing out cricket protein bars. I’ll admit, I hesitated. I mean, I grew up in the Midwest, where the wildest thing you’d find in a casserole was maybe some canned jalapeños. But curiosity got the better of me, and, you know, it tasted... fine. Kind of nutty, a little earthy, but nothing that screamed “insect.” And the pitch was all about sustainability—how crickets use a fraction of the resources compared to beef, and how they could help feed a growing world. It was compelling, even if the idea still felt a little out there.So, why aren’t we all munching on mealworm burgers yet? Well, that’s where things get interesting—and complicated. But before we get to the “yuck” factor, let’s talk about what could actually go wrong if we start putting bugs on every plate.Alright, so let’s get into the nitty-gritty—literally. If you’re going to eat insects, you want to know they’re safe, right? Turns out, there are some real biological and chemical risks to consider. Insects can carry bacteria, viruses, parasites, even fungi. And the risk isn’t the same across the board. Wild-caught insects, for example, are a lot more likely to be carrying parasites like Dicrocoelium dendriticum—try saying that three times fast—or Giardia. Not exactly what you want as a side dish.But--here’s the thing: farmed insects, especially those raised in controlled environments with good hygiene, have a much lower risk of harboring these nasties. It’s kind of like the difference between eating wild mushrooms and the ones you buy at the grocery store. Still, it means that if edible insects are going to go mainstream, we need strict safety protocols all the way from farm to table. And that includes transparent labeling—because, and this is important, some people can have serious allergic reactions to insect proteins.The science says that proteins in insects, like tropomyosin and arginine kinase, are pretty similar to what you find in shellfish and even dust mites. So, if you’ve got a shellfish allergy, you might react to crickets or grasshoppers, too. There have even been cases of anaphylaxis after eating things like silkworms. That’s why labeling is so crucial. I mean, should we have allergy warnings on cricket bars the same way we do for peanuts or shrimp? I think so. Actually, I’d love to hear what you all think—would a clear allergy warning make you more likely to try an insect-based snack, or is that just another reason to steer clear?And then there’s the chemical side. Insects can pick up heavy metals or pesticides, especially if they’re harvested from polluted areas. But, according to recent research, the levels in farmed edible insects are generally low—about the same as what you’d find in traditional meats. Still, it’s not something you want to leave to chance. That’s where technology comes in. Modern insect farms are starting to use IoT—Internet of Things—devices to monitor everything from temperature and humidity to air quality. It’s all about traceability and making sure what ends up on your plate is as safe as possible.So, yeah, there are risks, but they’re manageable with the right systems in place. It’s a lot like what we talked about in our episode on AI and food safety—technology can help, but only if we use it wisely. Now, even if we solve the safety puzzle, there’s still one big hurdle left: convincing people to actually eat the stuff.Let’s be honest—the biggest barrier to eating insects isn’t really about safety or nutrition. It’s about that gut reaction, the “yuck” factor. Most people in the West just aren’t on board. There’s even a word for it: food neophobia, or the reluctance to try new foods. And the numbers back it up. There was a study in Hungary—2023, I think—where over 70% of people said, “No way, not eating bugs.” And that didn’t really change much--over five years. But, interestingly, younger folks, especially men between 18 and 39, were a little more open to the idea. Maybe it’s curiosity, maybe it’s the health angle, or maybe it’s just wanting to try something their parents wouldn’t touch.So, how do you get people past that initial “ick”? One strategy is to hide the bugs, so to speak. Instead of serving up whole roasted crickets, you put cricket flour in protein bars or blend mealworms into burger patties. If you can’t see the legs and antennae, it’s a lot easier to take that first bite. There are also education campaigns—showing people the environmental benefits, the safety protocols, and, honestly, just normalizing the idea. It’s kind of like what happened with sushi in the U.S. I remember when I was a kid, the idea of eating raw fish was just... unheard of--now you can get a California roll at the grocery store. Attitudes change, sometimes faster than we expect.So, will bugs ever be as common as burgers or sushi? Hard to say. But if history tells us anything, it’s that what seems weird today can be tomorrow’s trend—especially if there’s a good story behind it. And that’s what we’ll keep exploring here on The Tamnation Gilsey Podcast. Thanks for listening, and, who knows, maybe next time you’ll be snacking on a cricket bar while you tune in. See you next episode. You can support this podcast--under the show name--at--buy me a coffee. Thank you

Episodes

Entomophagy and IOT