“Insects are the future”: Essento launches entovegan protein concepts at SIAL 2024

With geopolitical tensions and climate change shaking up supply chains and the cost of consumer goods, insect foods have come out of the shadows to offer another chance at global protein self-sufficiency. 

As insect foods carve a space as a replacement for conventional protein in the alt-protein sector, Christian Bärtsch, founder and CEO of Essento, a Swiss start-up that has been promoting insect foods since 2013, says, “It’s all about functionality.”

Essento presented new snacking concepts for its “entovegan” (a diet consisting of vegan and insect foods) product range at SIAL 2024, held in Paris, France, from October 19 to 23.

Food Ingredients First catches up with Bärtsch on the show floor to discuss how the company incorporates insects into its protein bars, snacks, hamburgers and meatballs and whether insects can be the future food.

“It is super important to always think about the end consumer. What do they want, and what features are they looking for? We’re noticing it’s all about, ‘What does the product do to me?’ And we always have it in our mind when developing products.”

Turning insects into food

At the event, the start-up showcased its newest protein addition: a bar containing insect protein coated in Swiss dark chocolate and a berry variant dipped in white chocolate. Other offerings, such as the protein powder with “67% of the best protein” and a snack range with international flavors also lined the table.

Essento also presented its flagship meatballs and hamburgers, which it has been selling in Swiss supermarkets for over six years, in addition to its energy bars.

“We’re looking at the high-protein end on all our products. We combine insect protein with suitable plant-based proteins — our entire product range is entovegan. Besides the insects, we only use plant-based material. Plant-based proteins are other ingredients that help us formulate.”

The start-up showcased its newest protein addition at SIAL 2024: a bar containing insect protein.The type of insect protein used in a product depends on the category and application, Bärtsch tells us.

“We have four different species of insects that are legal in the EU, with suitable suppliers for all the species. The selection also depends a bit on the product and the form we need the insects in, either as a powder, whole dried, or frozen.”

Enhancing functionality and clean labels

Essento’s focus on clean label is apparent in its protein bar concepts. An increasing consumer awareness about what goes into their food is driving the development of such offerings.

“We work with suppliers with whom we can stay clean on the ingredients. And that is not always easy, but it is key for us to deliver clean label products, and up until now, we’ve been successful.”

With the rise of convenient protein formats, Bärtsch says Essento’s bar differentiates itself on some key markers.

“Taste and texture are key. We have been working hard to develop formulations with enough moisture and protein content. And then there is the taste aspect. [We have] the natural aromas in our context that go well with the other ingredients in the end product.”

While the main functional ingredient in all Essento products is the insect protein, which is either whole, dried or milled into a fine powder, some products harness the benefits of other elements.

“For instance, we need high-quality fibers for our protein bars to have the nutritional values we need. Similarly, for each product application, we find the suitable functional ingredient to pair up with the superfood we already have as our key functional ingredient, the insect.”

Unlocking flavor innovation

Snacking trends dominated this year’s SIAL, with a strong display of regional taste profiles. Essento presented its “super popular” insect snacks in five flavors: Alpine, Thai, Pepper, Choco and Paprika.

Bärtsch explains how the company unlocks “the best match” for its snacks: “We’re doing a lot of focus groups on our products and come up with a whole range of different flavors. We go to the groups, get feedback on the flavors and then decide which products we will bring to the market.”Essento presented its “super popular” insect snacks in five flavors: Alpine, Thai, Pepper, Choco and Paprika.

“We always take the ingredients into account. So that’s why, for the Thai cricket variant, we’re getting inspiration from Thai spices that work well with the base flavor of the crickets themselves. We also present with our Locusta product this idea, this little hint of the Alps and the fresh grass. So we took that and combined it with Alpine herbs.”

Snacking the future?

The demand for sustainable protein is more critical than ever, with the global population predicted to grow toward the estimated 10 billion mark by 2050. While conventional animal farming faces scrutiny over greenhouse gas emissions and welfare concerns, insect foods hold promise.

However, for insect protein to be mainstreamed, consumer attitudes and regulatory clearance will need to align with the industry.

Bärtsch, for one, is convinced that “insects are the future.”

“We’re snacking on insects already. We’re seeing the trend going up and are in quite a good position because the legal landscape has cleared up in the last few years. So in all the EU countries, we can commercialize insects without any problems, which is the key basis.”

“Consumers can trust that there are certification controls in place to take the products into the supermarkets and offer it to the consumer,” he concludes.