Last week on Unknown Country we ran a story which put forward a theory that, if food supplies run short in the future, we could turn to the insect world to provide a source of protein for our nutritional needs.

Subscribers had mixed views on the subject, but for those of you who dismissed the idea as outlandish or unthinkable, think again. Research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that insects have already played a significant role in our past diet and may even have been the driving evolutionary force behind the development of our large brains.
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As the human population grows, it is critical that the drain on the planet’s resources be lessened by decreasing consumption of animal protein. According to two panel discussions on June 23 and 24 at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in New Orleans, insects are a promising, economically viable alternative source of high quality protein that leave a substantially smaller environmental footprint.
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Molecule-size particles are entering the food chain through processed foods and their packaging. Nanotechnology can help make products creamier without additional fat, as well as intensify and improve flavors and brighten colors.

Their small size allows nanoparticles to go places in the body that larger particles can’t reach–they even enter our cells (the Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating nanoparticles used in sunscreens). In April, the Food and Drug Administration issued an warning about them, saying it did not have enough data to assume they are safe in food.
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