Thought for Food Blog

Edible Insects – The Food of the Future?

10-May-2017 08:30:00

The eating of insects, or entomophagy, is not a new concept. In fact, insects have been eaten around the world since prehistoric times.

A history of insect consumption

Stable carbon isotope analysis of the bones and dental enamel of australopithecines, for example, has shown that they were significantly enriched in isotope 13C, suggesting that the diet of these people was largely composed of animals feeding on grasses, including insects. Termites are reported to have been included into the Plio-Pleistocene hominin diet, and an analysis of fossils from caves in the USA and Mexico showed that coprolites from caves in Mexico contained ants, beetle larvae, lice, ticks and mites, providing further evidence for entomophagy in human history.

Topics: zinc, texture, food safety, food security, nutrition, protein, allergies and allergens, pesticides, cholesterol, nutrients, magnesium, amino acids, fatty acids, calcium, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, environment and sustainability, Asia, Africa, consumer behaviour, insect foods, novel foods

Do Organic Food Consumers Really Know What They’re Buying?

Posted by Naomi McGrath

01-Jul-2014 13:10:00

Organic foods often come at a higher cost than their non-organic counterparts. Yet, some consumers consistently choose to buy them above conventionally-produced foods. Evidence suggests that there is often some discrepancy between what consumers believe organic foods offer and the reality. So what exactly are organic foods, and what motivates consumers to buy them?

Organic food: a definition

Organic foods are those produced by organic farming methods, which aim to reduce negative impacts on the environment. The exact standards producers must meet vary slightly between countries, which set their own guidelines, but there are a few core principles that are shared by all of the various regulatory bodies.

Topics: zinc, food safety, food quality, organic, cancer, animal welfare, nutrition, flavour, pesticides, agriculture, meat, regulations and guidance, retail and marketing, environment and sustainability, consumer behaviour

Food for Africa

Posted by Dave Howard

21-Jun-2013 15:10:00

Africa is home to many of the world's most hungry and impoverished citizens. Although the developed world speaks of the need for a 'second green revolution', it is widely recognised that the first green revolution of the 20th century bypassed Africa almost entirely.

The high-yielding varieties of wheat, maize, and rice of the green revolution were not successfully introduced to African agriculture, mainly because they require large inputs of fertiliser and pesticides to realise their high-yield potential, and most African nations have lacked the infrastructure necessary to grow these varieties on a large scale.

Topics: rice, food security, pesticides, wheat, agriculture, environment and sustainability

European Concerns Over Chemicals in Foods

Posted by Dave Howard

18-Mar-2013 09:40:00

Europeans concerned about possible food-related risks tend to worry more about chemical contamination of food instead of bacterial contamination or health and nutrition issues, according to a Eurobarometer survey, published by the European Commission.

Most Europeans have confidence in national and European food-safety agencies as information sources on possible risks associated with food, the poll also shows.

Topics: food safety, nutrition, healthy eating, pesticides, bacteria, obesity, contaminants

Farmers of the Future

Posted by Dave Howard

04-Mar-2013 11:18:00

Christine Tacon, Chair of UK Farming plc, an investment fund, part of Brooks Macdonald Funds said:

I think what I can see in the future is that the farmer is going to be much more of a facility, providing the land and providing feedback when they were asked for it, and so much more of the science being done remotely from the farm, which might not be what everybody wants to hear but if it’s going to double or even triple agricultural production, maybe even in the UK, I think it’s where we’re going to have to go.

Topics: pesticides, bees, agriculture

Edible Insects – The Food of the Future?

Do Organic Food Consumers Really Know What They’re Buying?

Food for Africa

European Concerns Over Chemicals in Foods

Farmers of the Future

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