homehome Home chatchat Notifications


German supermarket starts selling burgers made from worms

Yum or yuck?

Mihai Andrei
April 23, 2018 @ 2:06 pm

share Share

The key to success, producers say, is to create a burger that looks nice and doesn’t show any worm parts.

This is the actual worm burger. Doesn’t look so bad, does it? Image credits: BugFoundation.

What makes a good burger? Most people would probably say it’s good meat. Vegetarians would argue that you don’t need meat to eat a good burger, and I can confirm — I’ve had my share of delicious, meatless burgers. At the end of the day, the actual ingredients matter less; what we want is a burger that tastes good.

But what if it were made from worms?

Germany start-up Bugfoundation produces burgers made from buffalo worms, which are already being sold for both animal and human consumption. Baris Özel, the co-founder of the start-up that, says he worked on the idea for four years. Along with fellow co-founder Max Krämer, the two were inspired by South-Eastern Asian culture, where it’s not uncommon to eat insects.

“It’s quite simple. You have to create an aesthetic product that looks good and doesn’t show any insects,” Özel told The Guardian, adding that people were attracted by the smell of the burgers. But not everyone is sure about them.

The burger, served with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes, is on offer in supermarkets in the German city of Aachen. The product has already proven popular in the Netherlands (where the worms are bred) and Belgium. Buffalo worms (which are essentially the larvae of buffalo beetles) are a rich source of protein and healthy fats, iron, and calcium. Nutritionally, the worms are arguably healthier than most other meats available on the market, though the long-term effect of eating worms haven’t been studied in great depth. But for most people, the “wow” factor — or conversely, the “yuck” factor — is what’s decisive, not the nutritional factsheet or environmental impact. After all, you’re eating insect larvae.

“We have people who are totally thrilled to find out about the whole thing and have been looking forward to it for days,” said supermarket manager Michael Reinartz. “And we have people who say, ‘you’re not seriously doing that?’”

But reportedly, the burgers smell and taste good, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the idea starts catching on, and worm burgers might soon show up in a supermarket near you. How would you feel, would you try it, at least once?

share Share

Superbugs are the latest crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers found an alarming rise in antibiotic-resistant infections among children.

What happens in your brain when your mind goes completely blank — neuroscientists say it's a distinct mental state

Mind blanking isn’t daydreaming. It's something more akin to meditation — but not quite the same.

The World's Oldest Known Ant Is A 113-Million-Year-Old Hell Ant with Scythe Jaws

A remarkable find for ant history was made, not in the field but in a drawer.

Your Cells Can Hear You — And It Could Be Important for Fat Cells

Researchers explore the curious relationship between sound and gene expression in cell cultures.

16,000-Year-Old Dog-Like Skeleton Found in France Raises Haunting Questions

Cared for like a companion, or killed like prey?

Japanese Scientists Just Summoned Lightning with a Drone. Here’s Why

The drone is essentially a mobile, customizable, lightning rod.

Tiny Chinese Satellite Sent Hack-Proof Quantum Messages 12,900 Kilometers Through Space. Is a Quantum Internet Around the Corner?

The US and Europe are now racing to catch up to China.

Cats Came Bearing Gods: Religion and Trade Shaped the Rise of the Domestic Cat in Europe

Two groundbreaking studies challenge the old narrative that cats followed early farmers into Europe.

The People of Carthage Weren’t Who We Thought They Were

The Punic people had almost no genetic ties to Phoenicians, even though the latter founded the great city of Carthage.

RFK Jr loves raw milk. Now, he's suspending milk quality tests due to Trump cuts

Imagine pouring a glass of milk for your child and wondering if it’s safe.