Prof. Dominque Bureau, Department of Animal Biosciences, spoke to CBC Life about whether insects are really as great a protein source as recent buzz suggests (pun intended).

The number of food products on the market that contain ground crickets has soared in recent years, with marketers claiming that cricket protein is a functional food high in fibre and nutrients.

Bureau told CBC he is less enthusiastic. He noted that most of the research on the nutritional benefits of eating insects has been in the field of animal nutrition; there have been few studies on humans.

“What I like to say about insects is that they’re an okay source of amino acids and other nutrients, nothing to write home about,” he said.

Bureau has broad research interests that include the development of cost-effective feed formulations for livestock, and studying the nutrient requirements of different fish and shrimp species.