In Japan, a protein pioneer’s edible insect experiment fails to fly
The founder of Gryllus Inc, which has filed for bankruptcy, maintains that his company’s insect-based food was ahead of its time
A Japanese company that championed the potential of crickets as a staple food has filed for bankruptcy, unable to overcome consumers’ reservations about insect-based cuisine.
But the company’s founder, Takahito Watanabe, a professor of developmental biology at Tokushima University, remains steadfast in his belief that insects will eventually play a larger role in human diets.
“We considered insects – and especially crickets – to be a promising new protein resource with the benefit of efficient production,” Watanabe told This Week in Asia.
“The use of crickets as a solution to the protein crisis is attracting attention around the world as a new initiative, and we believed there was sufficient potential to be successful here in Japan as well.”
