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• The European Food Safety Agency on Jan. 13 approved yellow grubs, aka mealworms, as its first insect "novel food," to be used whole and dried in curries and as flour to make pastas and breads, Reuters reported.
Mealworms are rich in protein, fat and fiber, according to agency food scientist Ermolaos Ververis, and "there is great interest ... in the edible insect sector."
But sociologists point out that "the so-called 'yuck factor' (may) make the thought of eating insects repellent to many Europeans," said consumer researcher Giovanni Sogari of the University of Parma in Italy.
"With time and exposure, such attitudes can change," he added. [Reuters, 1/13/2021]