Dive Brief:
- A number of companies are trying to convince American consumers to eat bugs -- particularly to eat energy bars made with mashed up crickets.
- No large-scale producer of cricket bars has emerged. Rather, the nascent industry is dotted with entrepreneurial ventures such as Hopper Bars, Exo Foods, and Chapul.
- In addition to the unusual ingredient, each of the companies have a similar marketing plan: Introduce the bars one local market at a time and push for acceptance among users.
Dive Insight:
Getting Americans to eat insects is not an easy task. And no one will be surprised that the major food processors in America have not invested in the space.
But the truth is that the bug-bar makers might be on to something. Crickets are robust source of protein. And it's not hard to imagine a world where they become a go-to source for a certain segment of the population. Certainly the average nine-year-old boy would likely eat a bug bar. So too might people who swear off eating other mammals for ethical reasons.
For a look at the guy who supplies crickets to food producers, check out our interview last year with Harman Singh Johar of World Ento.