The bar, named Demolitor, won the Up Nutrition Award in Greece, reports Somos.
Renzo Cateriano and the brothers Eduardo and Rayza Lama created the brand Ento Piruw in 2017. The brand’s main appeal is the use of insects in their products, knowing they have high levels of proteins, fatty acids, minerals and no carbohydrates. The team has won numerous awards for their research and products.
The entrepreneurs first started out testing the use of crickets but found that breeding these isn’t as sustainable as one might think. They found a good contender in the tenebrio molitor, or mealworm. The mealworm is approved and recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization for its nutritional value. In Mexico, it’s common to find tortillas enriched with mealworm, which is widely recognized as source of protein.
The team also found the mealworm to be sustainable to reproduce. They use only 2 liters of water for 1kg of production of the mealworm. Bred under their supervision, the insect can contain 52% protein (twice as much as beef) and 15.34 mg of iron, eight times more than beef.
The Demolitor bar consists of isolated proteins from mealworm, Tarma honey, Andean grains from Huaraz and chocolate from Pozuzo. It’s designed to help athletes with muscle regeneration, physical performance and combating anemia.
Their next product will be made out of vegetables aimed at a vegan public.
Source: Somos/El Comercio.
Photo: Ento Piruw Facebook Page.
