YOU CAN NOW BUY ‘MEALWORM BURGERS’ AT SWISS STORE

Switzerland is embracing edible insects. Start-up Essento is launching a selection of its insect-based products – including mealworm burger patties and beetle larvae “meatballs” – at one of the country’s largest retailers, Coop. In a European first, food safety regulations in Switzerland were revised to allow for human consumption of insects. Crickets, grasshoppers and mealworms can now be sold in food-form, but must be bred under specific conditions for a minimum of four generations, The Guardian reports. The supermarket chain will start selling Essento’s products in its refrigerated meat section on August 21. Bloomberg reports that the products will be available online, as well as at select stores in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Winterthur and Zurich. “These products are perfectly suited for those who want to learn about the culinary diversity of insects,” Coop procurement manager Silvio Baselgia said in a statement. Dubbed the “future of food,” insects have long held a place in many of the world’s culinary traditions, including Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. According to Bugible, mealworms (“actually beetle larvae”) are quite mild in flavour, making them a good gateway to edible insects. In its burgers, Essento has combined mealworms with carrots and rice, and spices such as chili and oregano. As for the insect balls, Coop suggests eating them as you would falafel: stuffed in a pita, topped with salads and drizzled with sauce.