Your dislike of eating bugs may be 9,000 years old
Researchers have used genomic analysis of ancient dental tartar to determine that insect consumption in northern Eurasia was likely rare and accidental. The study suggests that cultural aversion to eating insects in Western societies may have deep historical roots.
Why it matters
Understanding the evolutionary history of human diets provides context for modern food security challenges and the potential adoption of insects as sustainable nutrition.
As the global population grows and climate change places increasing pressure on food systems, researchers and policymakers are looking more closely at alternative sources of nutrition. Insects are one possible option. A total of 1,611 insect species are classified as edible, and organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have highlighted insects as a potentially sustainable food source.
Even so, many Western societies remain strongly resistant to entomophagy, or eating insects, despite the fact that hundreds of millions of people around the world already include insects in their diets. Culture may help explain that reluctance, but scientists have not known how far back it goes or what other forces may have shaped it.
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