While edible crickets have been available in Japan for a while as somewhat of an "off the beaten path snack", even dispensed in vending machines, they've recently seem to have been picking up steam as an alternative protein source that cause less of an environmental burden than their farm-raised counterparts. Just recently we've seen 100-cricket ramen, as well as snacks offered by popular minimalist store Muji as examples of what could perhaps turn into a cricket boom.

Maker Odd Future's "food tech brand" Innocect aims to strengthen such initiatives, and are this time the company is doing so with the announcement of their new sustainable protein bars made using cricket powder available in matcha and chocolate flavors.

Each gluten-free cricket bar contains 12 grams of protein, and is free of artificial sweeteners, dairy products, and GMO's, which Odd Future says makes the bar emblematic of their concept of being kind to both body and earth.

Odd Future touts the aromatic cricket protein bars as a superfood abundant in 9 essential amino acids and BCAA, as well as beneficial to probiotic support of gastrointestinal health.

The other reason for the cricket based bar is to address concerns that cattle and other livestock industries are causing significant damage to the global environment by switching to a more sustainable resource.

Both matcha and chocolate flavors can be purchased from Innocect's online store.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.