Snack brand Crobar has launched a new range of energy bars made from cricket flour – the first food product containing insect flour to retail in the UK.
Containing fruits, nuts and protein-rich cricket flour, the bars are a healthy source of vitamins, antioxidants and protein and are “set to revolutionise the health food market,” the brand said. It is available in two varieties – cacao with chia, goji berries and cranberries for a bar that is high in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids; plus peanut, combined with sultanas, dates and sunflower seeds for an antioxidant-packed, mineral-rich boost. Both have a recommended retail price of £2.29 per bar or £27 for a box of 12.
Crobar falls in line with the growth in insect flours, amid rising health concerns about red meat and issues surrounding the sustainability of livestock farming. The company that produces Crobar, Gathr, also stocks an “incredibly versatile” organic cricket flour for use in everyday cooking.
The brand’s organic cricket flour is sourced for Crobar from crickets that have been fed a diet of organic nuts, seeds and fruits to give them a nutty flavour. One reason for using crickets is that they contain more protein and less fat than an equivalent amount of beef, and are high in iron and vitamin B12. Crickets also produce far less CO2 than cows and, to produce 1lb of crickets, takes just four litres of water – far less than the 9,000 litres that Crobar claimed is required in the rearing of 1lb of beef.
By packing the protein of cricket flour into something that the western world is used to, the company has said that it hopes to be able to educate people in the benefits of insects to our diets and to the global ecosystem. And the fact that the whole concept started as a Kickstarter campaign, Crobar added, “only goes to show that there is a need and a want for people to change”.
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