Man, bugs are hot right now. We have Europeans eat worms. We have a designated cicada cookbook. We have about a million cultural, environmental and nutritional issues Reasons to use insects as a source of protein. And our pets too, per a new CNBC article on the upcoming wave of insect-based pet food.
The article cites a few different insect-based pet food brands, including British start-up Yora Pet Foods, which claims its black soldier fly kibbles taste like stilton and cheese biscuits. “We anticipate that insect protein will be adopted by more and more pet owners as a viable and marketable alternative to traditional meat as consumers become more aware of their own carbon footprint – and the carbon footprint of their pets,” said Yora CEO Glenn Rankin told CNBC.
Rankin is not wrong: CNBC cites a 2021 report from Rabo research, a Dutch food and agribusiness research group that predicts that the demand for insect protein in pet and feed could reach half a million tonnes by 2030. That is a huge leap from the current demand of around 10,000 tons. In response, many companies are lining up to sell their buggy merchandise. CNBC names a few, including Mars Petcare, a part of confectionery giant Mars, which is piloting dry cat food made from black soldier fly larvae. Smaller operations such as Toronto-based HOPE Pet Foods are also on deck, with HOPE planning to bring treats and food containing algae and black soldier fly larvae and a distinctive “nutty taste” to the market.
As demand increases, U.S. pet food regulations may change slightly to include more insects in pet food. Honestly, my dog ate a raisin off the sidewalk yesterday, so I feel like he’d be cool with fly larvae in his dry food. If you are intrigued by the idea of insect-based pet food, check out this one Full article here.
