Selfridges customers get chance to leap at insect bars

The British department store Selfridges has announced plans to start selling pasta, protein bars, and granola made from insect flour in a bid to highlight alternative proteins that could be included in mainstream diets, several media outlets reported on Tuesday.

Retail Gazette said dark chocolate and fig protein bars that include flour made from crickets will be available, as will basil fusilli pasta made from powdered buffalo worms.

The publication said a growing awareness of the environmental impact of livestock farming and a growing desire among many people to eat less meat mean department stores and grocery chains are increasingly looking for alternatives. It said insects can be both nutritional and environmentally sustainable.

The Guardian said the products were developed by the specialist French brand Jimini's, which sells through Spanish and German supermarkets and which is aiming to expand its presence in the United Kingdom. The new products are exclusive to Selfridges.

Environmental experts have long recommended insects as a sustainable food source and say their consumption could help end world hunger and reduce the damaging impact of meat production. The Guardian noted insects can be nutritious and contain essential proteins, fats, minerals, and amino acids and said a normal portion of buckwheat pasta contains around 10 grams of protein while Jimini's insect fusilli contains 18 grams. The company's cereal bars contain 20 percent protein and its granola has 14 percent. In both, insects have been blended with a selection of fruit and nuts that add texture. The products will be promoted in Selfridges initially in themed, pop-up "bug bars" but may remain on sale permanently.

Edward Goodman, food-buying director at Selfridges, told the Guardian: "We are sure our epi-curious customers will be surprised and delighted discovering the new range in store."

In November, the British supermarket chain Sainsbury's became the first major UK grocer to stock edible crickets. It sells the insects roasted as snacks and packaged in small bags produced by the UK brand Eat.

Katherine O'Sullivan, Sainsbury's buying manager, told the Guardian: "Having sold over 10,000 packs of Eat Grub crickets in less than three months, we're continuing to see Sainsbury's customers explore edible insects as a new sustainable protein source."

According to recent research, the global edible insect market is forecast to exceed $520 million by 2023. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says at least 2 billion people regularly consume insects and noted insects could help meet the food needs of the world's growing population.