Look at here:

http://www.dellchallenge.org/sites/default/files/groups/307581/documents/Digestibility%20of%20insect.pdf

http://www.grjournals.com/portals/grjournals/JASA/Vol2%20Issue8/JASA-2012-07-042-649-658.pdf

http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al706e/al706e00.pdf

http://www.ardeola.org/files/1468.pdf

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectnutrition.html

http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~cbader/ghprecwithinsects.html

http://www.insectsarefood.com/recipes.html

Wageningen University has a similar project::

http://www.wageningenur.nl/upload/ff5e933e-474b-4bd4-8842-fb67e6f51b61_234247%5B1%5D

Je vous prie de transmettre bien des choses a M. Haubruge.

Dear Mr András Bozsik,

Thanks for the reply! These paper are really good.

But I am looking specifically on Chorthippus Species and Conocephalus dscolor as human food. It would be great if you can help.

Regards,

Paul

Cher M. Paul,

Do you intend to rear these species or collect them from the vegetation strips? Do you want to use them as human food or animal feed? Chorthippus spp. are common species also in Hungary but their density is not too high. For using "industrially" their biomass as a food/feed, one needs to have enormous quantities. I do not think that simple collection of these insects in vegetation stripes could provide a proper quantity. Even the Belgian climat cannot be the most suitable for a natural mass reproduction of Chorthippus spp. Or do you hope in the global warming effects?

Tres cordiallement,

Andras

Dear Mr Andras Bozsik,

Though Chorthippus spp (specially C. parallelus and C. biguttulus) are present in abundance in Wallonia Region of Belgium, but we plan to rear them for experimental purposes. Due to global warming the grasslands of this region have become a appropriate breeding grounds for them.

We want to use them as human food. Main idea is to study the interaction between the naturally occurring compounds in the flowering strips and the insect biomass.

So we are trying to design an experiment to hold these insects in captivity and see the effects of compounds from flowering strips on them and will they increase the nutritional quality of insect biomass or not.

Regards,

Paul

Cher M. Paul,

Locust swarming was devastating in Hungary in the Middle Age and even in the XIX century. We have seen the last swarming in 1995 or 1996 which was an exceptional event for the media. Although, Europeans knew that John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey, feeding on locusts was not an option until now. I have read that the largest known swarm of migratory locusts covered 513,000 km², comprising approximately 12.5 trillion insects and weighing 27.5 million tons. It would be very profitable to build a factory in an African or Asian country and to transport the processed locusts. However, the quality of food can be important.

Have you got some density records on Chorthippus species in Belgium? Which habitats do they prefer there?

Tres cordiallement,

Andras

Dear Mr Andras Bozsik,

We don´t have the exact density data, but here are 2 links which can give you an idea about public citing of C. parallelus and C. biguttulus.

http://observations.be/soort/stats/1717

http://observations.be/soort/stats/1941

Chorthippus spp is found in non-arid grasslands throughout the well vegetated areas of Europe and some adjoining areas of Asia. Although green forms are most common, but they can also be brown, purple-red and pink. They are herbivores, feeding mainly on grass. They prefer a temperature range between 32-35°C.

Yes this could be a could option, the farming can be done is Asia and Europe & the processed product can be imported to Europe.

Regards,

Aman

Cher M. Paul,

Regarding the density values of Belgian Chorthippus spp., it seems considerable as a number of individuals but the biomass quantity cannot be important. Have you got some data on the edibility of grasshoppers? The ratio of digestible and indigestible parts of their body would be essential. I mean the sclerotized exoskeleton and the poisonous quinones in insect chitin.

Cordiallement,

András

Dear Mr Andras Bozsik,

We just got some data which shows that Chorthippus spp. is edible in East Asia, but we have got adequate data to support that Conocephalus spp. is edible in many parts of the world like Mexico, Thailand and Japan.

Like most of the other grasshopper species Conocephalus spp. is consumed just after removal of wings, they don't contain any harmful substances.

But we don't have any data for Chorthippus spp., so we will go for chemical analysis to support its edibility.

Regards,

Aman Paul

As I know you have an excellent Chemical Department in Gembloux and so the analysis has no obstacles.

Yes its good........... We have almost all the facilities........

It was very interesting for me. If we instead kill insects, it would be great to use for your needs. I hope more researchers to work and be successful.

Dear Madame Shahnaz,

We are looking for lots of interesting products from this research not only limited to food but with broad industrial applications, from cosmetics products to environment friendly fuels.

Regards,

Paul

Dear Paul,

The insects as food (or feed) is a very important subject for the future. It is highly possible that somebody will deal with it also at our faculty. However, we would prefer species with shorter life history and easier rearing conditions than Orthoptera. I hope as well that we may have a potential collaboration.

All the best,

András Bozsik

Dear Mr András Bozsik,

I am glad that you are also willing to work on the subject matter. The thing is that Orthoptera are really nutritious source of food and some of the orthoptera's like Chorthippus spp and Acheta Domesticus are really easy to farm, they readily adapt to a wide range of climate conditions and are short lived. I will be glad if we could work together on it. It would be a real pleasure. Please let me be informed in case.

Regards,

Paul

 Hi, Let me know how it is going, do you have any results from your rearing yet? I am also interested in this subject and one taxa we will start working with now is also an orthopteran. I have raised orthopterans before, but for other ecological studies. It has not been much done yet as far as I have seen. Most experience is still from the pet food industry.