Jimini’s look to take insect proteins beyond the niche
18 Aug 2017 --- French insect firm Jimini’s first launched insect energy bars in 2016 and now the company has redeveloped their insect offerings with the re-releasing of two new protein bars and two new energy bars. According to Mercedesz Bondi, Country Manager at Jimini’s UK now is a good time to re-release the insect bars. “The insect protein sector definitely hasn’t slowed down; just this week Switzerland’s second biggest supermarket chain has announced that they will begin selling insect burgers for human consumption. They have revised their food safety laws to allow this to happen,” she tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
“The difficulty currently with all insect products is that under EU law they are still not currently classified as a food for human consumption,” she explains. “Currently they are in a category of 'novel food' which means they are separate to animal products. So although some countries within the EU are tolerating the sale of edible insects, it is not legally seen as a food product under EU regulations.”
You can read the full article on Swiss insect burgers here.
Even though around 2 billion people already eat insects, according to Bondi there is still a general uncertainty around the consumption of insects, particularly in Western Europe. “In order to normalize the eating of insects, Jimini’s have found it’s essential to make the products accessible with familiar flavors or used within familiar products such as protein bars and pasta.”
“Consumers are becoming ever more concerned with sustainability and there is a conscious shift towards this, which shows no signs of slowing down. With research pointing towards the fact that we will no longer be able to produce enough meat to provide for our ever-growing population by 2050, consumers are beginning to look for alternative protein sources and more sustainable products,” adds Bondi.
The insect protein and energy bars have been reformulated to include healthy and organic raw material without any refined sugars. In fact, all the sugars are 100 percent natural from just rice syrup and dried fruits.
The bars are also free from gluten, dairy and GMOs, and contain a high and balanced source of protein from insects, hemp and pea protein. They are also high in fiber thanks to the dried fruits.
The Banana and Dark Chocolate and Apple and Cinnamon are energy bars with 13 percent and 14 percent of protein respectively. These are perfect for a short-term energy fix as they are packed with natural carbohydrates and are ideal for a pre-workout snack. The two protein bars, Apricot, Goji and Chia and Dark Chocolate and Fig, with 20.5 percent of protein are perfect post-workout to supply the protein needed by the body to maintain and build muscle. The company's sustainable protein-rich cricket flour also contains all the essential amino acids, omega 3 and 6 and vitamin B11 for a real boost of nutrition.
Protein bars are Jimini’s main business, but are there any plans to move into other application categories? “The possibilities of using insects for food is huge, especially when you consider the fast breeding times and minimal resources required to grow them compared to animals,” says Bondi.
“Insect flour is just the tip of the iceberg and can be used in products such as veggie burgers, both as a binding ingredient and also to give a good boost of protein. Of course, with flour already being used in our high protein pasta, there is also the possibility of cake and cookie mixes too,” she continues. “Texturized insect protein is also something we believe will become much more common to create meat substitutes for steak, meatballs and sausages in the same way that soy protein is currently being used.”
Jimini’s have just won a place amongst seven other emerging health and nutrition brands to join PepsiCo in their first collaborative incubator program in Europe. The PepsiCo Nutrition Greenhouse offers a grant to each company, while partnering with PepsiCo experts to accelerate the growth of their businesses. “Having just launched whole edible insects with familiar crisp flavors in the UK such as Salt & Vinegar and Sour Cream & Onion, Jimini’s are hoping to develop crisps using insect products,” Bondi finalizes.
By Elizabeth Green
