Insects on the menu at UN food agency meeting

Bangkok - Insects are on the menu Tuesday at a UN meeting in Thailand, where experts are considering the dietary value of bugs and ways to farm the creatures which are delicacies in some countries.

While eating bugs is fodder for gross-out TV shows in many countries, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says that 1,400 insect species are eaten in countries around the world.

Among the most popular insect munchies are beetles, ants, bees, crickets and moths, the FAO said, noting that they can be nutritious, sometimes offering as much protein as meat and fish.

The FAO organised the three-day meeting in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai to examine how nutritious insects are, and to discuss ways of cultivating the ones most widely eaten.

"Surprisingly little is known about the life cycles, population dynamics, commercial and management potential of most edible forest insects," said Patrick Durst, a senior FAO forestry officer.

Cultivation of insects could provide new sources of income for rural populations around the world, especially in countries like Thailand, where 200 insect species are eaten by humans, he said in a statement.

"Opportunities also exist for improved packaging and marketing to make edible insects more enticing to traditional buyers and to expand the market to new consumers, especially in urban areas," Durst said.-- AFP

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