Insect variety plate – Image from kittymowmow.com – click

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Tastebugs is a UK initiative to habituate children to the idea of preparing climate friendly insect protein for human consumption.

3D Printed Tastebugs Challenge Children to Eat Insects

by Hanna Watkin

Tastebugs is a 3D printed modular kitchen utensil to teach children about the benefits of eating insects. We may squirm now, but it’s likely that bugs will make it to our plates very soon. 

Would you feed your children bugs? With consumers becoming more conscious of the impact of eating unsustainable food, it’s believed that we’ll soon begin turning to insects.

However, there is still a long way to go in terms of normalizing eating bugs. But one student from Northumbria University in the UK is using 3D printing to get the next generation on side.

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Each component has a specific use for preparing bugs. For example, Cockrell designed dicer and mill to cut the insects, a funnel to get them in position, a compactor to make bug bars, and an infuser to create insect stock.

Components can all be detached or attached, making it possible to dice your bugs then turn them into a bar. Or funnel them into position before milling them down.

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Read more: https://all3dp.com/3d-printed-tastebugs-insects/

The competition which produced this masterpiece was sponsored by 3dHubs, which appears to be a large consortium of 3D printing services.

25% of graduates of the UK education system struggle to read a bus timetable, but thanks to initiatives like Tastebugs, they will all have the insect protein preparation skills they will need for when the United Nations bans beef consumption.