24 WWW.MRBUG.CO.UK
DON’T BUG ME, EAT ME! DID YOU KNOW? MEALWORMS PROVIDE MORE CALCIUM THAN MILK, MORE B12 THAN SALMON, AND MORE IRON THAN SPINACH, IN ADDITION TO BEING JAM-PACKED WITH ALL 9 ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. FARMING INSECTS USES BETWEEN 50-90% LESS LAND PER KG OF PROTEIN AND 40-80% LESS ANIMAL FEED PER KG OF EDIBLE WEIGHT WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING 1,000-2700 LESS GHGES (GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS). Mr Bug is an ambitious entovegan business venture taking shape in sunny Devon, a bold vision with invaluable government support (farming transformation fund) to breed plump, nutrient-dense mealworms in one of the most beautiful regions of Britain, initially prioritising the dog treat sector before targeting human-themed products (protein powder) longer term. Mealworms, for anyone not in the know, are the Rolls Royce of nutritious, edible grubs, not only providing an appealing nutty twang for your dog but a nutritious war chest of healthful goodness that would be the envy of any well-balanced treat. Now it would be churlish not to mention that other bug-themed dog foods and treats exist, but for the most part, these are made using black fly larvae, a staple of traditional animal feed and another ‘nutritional powerhouse’ of a grub. The problem is their bitter taste, which some might say is unpleasant. More importantly, they’re overflowing with unwelcome saturated fats! From a common-sense perspective, bug nutrition is unavoidable down the line as traditional farming can neither keep pace with humanrace expansion nor do so in an environmentally friendly manner. At this moment in time, 30% of all intensively farmed animals are bred specifically with dog bowl consumption in mind. Recent research showed that the environmental impact of total pet food equated to a land mass twice the size of the UK! One of the many pluses of Mr Bug is that it pro-actively champions the circular economy with its eager-to-please mealworms fed on Cornish bran, a hitherto useless by-product of local wheat milling, which is madness as it’s both a digestible and healthy mono-protein. The resulting frass (that’s mealworm poo to you & me) is a nutritious, all-natural fertiliser that supports subsequent wheat harvests. It’s a fortunate truth that thanks to the plethora of new dog foods that have joined the fray in recent years (BARF, organic, no added grain, superior gut health) that there’s more choice than ever for the inquisitive, dare we say finicky ‘pet parents’ who are not inspired by the old-school, conveyor belt dog meals on offer. Unfortunately, dog treats have not kept pace, which is odd considering that 1 in 3 dogs in the UK are morbidly obese. As with humans, there
