UK stores stocking up on bug delicacies

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 means department stores and grocery chains are increasingly looking for alternatives. It said insects can be both nutritional and environmentally sustainable.