Researchers set eyes on crickets for protein

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentina, a meat-lover's paradise famed for its beef barbecues, has set its sights on an alternative source of protein: crickets.

Unlike Mexico, where diners often spend big bucks on well-seasoned grasshoppers, Argentina doesn't have a tradition of eating insects, so studying crickets for human consumption is a radical idea in this South American country.

Researchers at the National Institute of Industrial Technology, also known as INTI, now "seek nonconventional new sources of protein", said Gabriela Gallardo, a professor of chemistry and food microbiology at the University of Buenos Aires.