The Ryohin Keikaku, which expands MUJI products nationwide, will release cricket-based rice crackers at some MUJI stores and online stores in the spring of 2020.It was developed by receiving research data for the practical application of edible crickets from Tokushima University, which is studying insect food, and is expected to be a food that will survive the food shortage era in the future.
According to the Ryohin Keikaku, cricket senbei is made from mass-produced edible crickets into powder and kneaded into the senbei.The selling price is undecided.
Although crickets are rich in protein, calcium and iron, they are considered to be relatively easy to eat among insects and are recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as one of the alternatives to livestock.Compared to livestock, it emits less greenhouse gas during breeding, requires less food and water, and can reduce the environmental burden.It grows fast among insects and can be shipped in about 35 days, which enables efficient production.
Although Japan is entering an era of depopulation, the world's population is expected to continue explosively increasing, especially in developing countries such as Asia and Africa, and by 2050 it will approach 25 billion, 100 billion more than it is now.Many are worried that the rapid population growth will lead to environmental destruction due to food shortages and increased food production.One of the measures to solve this is considered to be insect food.
In Japan, insects were eaten on a daily basis as a valuable protein source along with river fish, mainly in mountainous areas, until before the war, but due to changes in traffic conditions and the distribution of imported foodstuffs, it has become a delicacy in some areas. It only remains.
reference:[Ryohin Keikaku] MUJI Cricket Senbei Development Notice
