Why not eat the insects from your garden?

You may have seen insects in your garden similar to those sold on JIMINI’S. However, we do not recommend that you eat them. This is an opportunity to explain to you where our insects come from, the difference between insects bred for human or animal consumption and insects taken directly from the wild!

Farmed or collected insects?

Today, it is estimated that more than 2 billion people regularly consume insects. But there are just as many ways of eating and raising insects. In many countries, insects have been consumed traditionally for thousands of years and local populations do not have to worry about specific farming methods or health regulations that protect consumers. Thus, insects are often raised under fairly undemanding conditions of hygiene and traceability, or taken from the natural environment. Collecting from the natural environment presents many potential risks: contamination with heavy metals, pesticides and parasites… Not cool at all.

European insect farms, on the other hand, are subject to strict regulations and are regularly monitored by the health authorities, which forces companies to become more professional and to constantly innovate in order to improve their production methods while maintaining optimal quality. This implies regular checks on the insects’ habitat and diet, isolation from the outside world to avoid any pollution or parasites, and perfectly controlled processing, a know-how that is not available to everyone!

In short, you will have understood that it is better to refrain from eating insects from your garden because they will certainly have been exposed to all sorts of pesticides, parasites and other pollution that you would not want to find on your plate.

What are the differences between raising insects for human or animal consumption?

Actually, there are many differences! The insects that can be found in pet shops are not intended for human consumption. Even if the species can sometimes be similar, it is in the feeding and processing of the insects that the differences lie. Insects raised for animal feed do not generally receive the same feed and do not undergo the same conservation treatments as edible insects, which makes them unfit for consumption. Finally, the latter are mostly sold live, so unless you are a lizard, we advise against this option.