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Eat insects, say scientists

Scientists claim adding insects to our diet would be good for us and the environment.

Eating insects would mean a nutrient-rich diet, help reduce pests and put less strain on the planet than eating conventional meat. Some insects in their dried form are said to have twice the protein of raw meat and fish, while others are rich in unsaturated fat and contain important vitamins and minerals.

Experts believe they could one day be marketed as a healthy alternative to fatty snacks. Although it is virtually unknown - or at least unintended - in the western world, some 1,700 species of bug are eaten in 113 countries.

In Taiwan, stir-fried crickets or sauteed caterpillars are delicacies, while sago grubs wrapped in banana leaves go down well in Papua New Guinea, as does dragonfly in Bali. In many parts of south-east Asia market stalls sell insects by the pound and deep-fried snacks are served up as street food. Patrick Durst, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said that if consumers were to be tempted to broaden their culinary horizons the trick might be to make the bugs look more palatable. ananova

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