Food with insects: Why are there no insects on our plates?
In Germany, insects can also be consumed as food. But who does that and why do the small creatures struggle to establish themselves as food?
Insect-based food products have struggled to gain traction in Germany and Europe, despite being available for some time. Gia Tien Ngo, founder of Alpha Protein, and Raijana Schiemann, head of Entava, have both reported that their companies are currently only producing insect-based animal feed, having previously attempted to enter the human food market.
According to Agrarian Economist Isabell Weiß, the insect food industry experienced a brief boom between 2018 and 2022, but has since declined, with fewer than 10 companies now operating in Germany. Despite this, some entrepreneurs, including Ngo and Schiemann, remain optimistic about the potential for insect-based foods to become mainstream, citing growing demand for protein products and comparing their prospects to those of sushi.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
