Insects– a high-protein alternative to meat

At GastroNord 2022 companies and food producers will show off their latest innovations and the techniques necessary to achieve our climate and supply challenges. Meet Moderna Delikatesser and Syngja, who produce and develop alternative products to meat protein based on insects.

Jonas Looström is the founder and CEO of Moderna Delikatesser, which has existed 4 years. Their partner, Syngja, is run by the molecular biologist Jakob Rykov and produces climate-smart insects on farms in Denmark. The goal is to use nature as a starting-point, not to control it.

– We call ourselves Moderna Delikatesser (Modern Delicacies) but really we start from the base, nature. We want to be innovative and contribute to the food of the future in a climate-smart and sustainable way, it is really a must for us humans to be able to supply all of the world’s population with food, says Jonas Looström.

Jonas’ vision for the future
The population of the Earth is expected to reach close to 10 billion people in the year 2050, a figure which is alarming when it comes to the food production of the world.

– We have to decrease the resources going into food production. Water will most likely be in shortage in the future, and we therefore have to find new ways to produce food effectively. I think that regulations will be introduced when it comes to resource management in livestock farming, says Jonas Looström.

It may sound like a bleak future ahead of us, but there are alternative foods that should be highlighted in Jonas’ opinion, namely insects.

– There is a psychological barrier that we have to get over when we talk about insects as food. Fact is that more than 2 billion people around the world already eat insects in their everyday lives, so it really isn’t strange. In addition, crickets contain more protein per kilogram than both beef and pork, and also many essential vitamins for us humans, claims Jonas Looström.

The environmental benefit of crickets

CO2 emissions, water and feed consumption - a trinity that together contribute to an increased climate impact in livestock farming. Jonas Looström points out that a lot less resources are required in farming for example crickets. An important complement to stockbreeding.

– The crickets are bred in Syngja’s facilities in Denmark with the right humidity and heat, optimal conditions for insects. If we can breed more insects as food, we can also keep all the cows and other animals that are very important to our ecosystem. We just need to find other alternatives, because our current food production is not sustaniable, says Jonas Looström.

Moderna Delikatesser and Syngja at GastroNord
At GastroNord, Moderna Delikatesser and Syngja will exhibit and showcase many products from their range. Among other things, visitors will be able to taste and receive more information on alternative diets and what it means for our planet to transition to a sustainable food production.

– GastroNord has always been number one for me, this is where I forge relations with new clients and we are very much looking forward to exhibiting. We are also here to educate and spread the word on the sustainable foods of the future, Jonas Looström closes.

At GastroNord April 5 – 7, 2022, knowledge development and the work to secure the food of tomorrow are of the utmost  importance.