Totally new idea
Two brothers, Marius and Donatas Glušauskas, have established a unique business in Lithuania, and today are known as the creators of future food. They have founded a cricket farm in the Kaunas district and produce healthy and environment-friendly food that is gaining recognition and is widely used all over the world.
According to Glušauskas, one of the brothers, the idea to start an alternative food business in a country where novelties are usually met with skepticism first came to mind five years ago, when he and his brother were looking for new business opportunities.
"During that time, I came across a release by Euronews that featured Fazer, a bakery in Finland, that had become the first company in the world to introduce bread made from cricket flour. The video highlighted the importance of insects as a sustainable source of protein and their potential to become a valuable supplement in the future. The idea of cultivating crickets as a food source was quite fascinating to me. I shared this with my brother and we both decided to give it a try," said Glušauskas.
In the beginning, the only source of information on cricket breeding was the internet. However, as time went on, the potential for improvement grew and ambitions expanded.
"In Finland, we found partners who provided us with the first batch of crickets, equipment for the farm, and training on insect breeding. We soon decided to create a brand name and enter the healthy snacks market. Some people in Lithuania support our idea and willingly choose our products, while others are skeptical of our business. Due to the limited demand for insect products in Lithuania, 70% of our production is exported," explained Glušauskas.
Enormous health benefits
In 2018 the Glušauskas brothers established a brand called Acheta and introduced a range of beneficial and healthy products to the market. Cricket snack production, as stated by one of the brothers, involves seven important steps that the entrepreneurs had to accomplish without any help.
"The production of cricket snacks involves several stages, including raising the crickets on a farm and processing them by freezing, blanching, drying in hot air dryers, sifting, flour grinding, roasting, and packaging. As with any other production process, it is essential to monitor temperature, humidity levels, and other factors to ensure quality," said Glušauskas.
The production process actually consists of many small details, adds the entrepreneur.
"Even the proper climate conditions in the farm are crucial for producing tasty crickets. Additionally, as everywhere in the food industry, it is necessary to maintain strict hygiene measures and carry out testing in labs," explained Glušauskas.
According to Glušauskas, the main item produced by the brand is seasoned dried crickets.
"The crickets are also used to produce protein chips, crispbread, chocolates, desserts from freeze-dried fruit and cricket flour, cured pork sausages with cricket flour, etc.," said Glušauskas.
So, there is a wide variety of dried cricket snacks available, with flavors to suit everyone's taste, but what makes them even more appealing are the numerous health benefits they offer.
"The main peculiarity of all the products is a high content of protein that crickets are known to be rich in (e.g. dried crickets contain 65% protein). What is more, crickets are rich in fibers which is not characteristic of typical animal products. Crickets are also the sources of chitin, a natural polymer. Chitin from crickets is beneficial for so-called good bacteria in human guts and may act as a prebiotic," emphasized Glušauskas.
As noted by the cricket grower, according to research, consuming crickets can improve digestive health and promote satiety.
"Crickets are a great source of both macro and micronutrients, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, and B-group vitamins. In fact, they contain as much iron as beef and even more than spinach. Additionally, crickets are rich in amino acids and provide as much Omega-3 as salmon," said Glušauskas.
The entrepreneur asserts that all Acheta branded products can be ascribed to the functional food category.
Crickets may be the food of the future
The Glušauskas brothers present their brand as the future food. This slogan was not chosen accidentally. It is based on the perception that their products are quite unusual for a typical consumer. Although there is growing information about crickets as a food source, Glušauskas does not believe that in the future everyone will have to consume insects.
"People will merely have a choice similar to how they currently have a choice between consuming meat, fish, or other products. That is why our focus is on snack production. We do not offer alternatives for meat or fish, which are commonly consumed during lunch or dinner. We aim to provide healthy snack options that can be a beneficial addition to any diet. We believe that our snacks can help people avoid empty calories and unhealthy snacking habits," said Glušauskas.
Glušauskas openly recognized the challenges that arise when offering cricket products to Lithuanian consumers. However, his team puts in a lot of effort to educate people about the benefits of these products and advertise them through social networks and various exhibitions.
"I think that most Lithuanians are still unfamiliar with our production and view it with suspicion because the information is very scarce. Conspiracy theories on social media do not help either," said Glušauskas.
According to him, the Acheta products are most appreciated by young people looking for healthy food alternatives and promoting clean living ideas.
"Teenagers are also showing interest in these products. We think that the growing generation won’t treat them as something unusual and something from the future," said Glušauskas.
Hopefully, the attitude toward edible crickets will change soon. This shift should not only be attributed to their health benefits but also to their relatively low environmental impact. The processes that pose a threat to our planet cannot be ignored any longer. In order to prevent a catastrophe, everyone should make an effort to change their habits and opt for more eco-friendly alternatives.
