Germany’s Bug Burgers | DW English

DW News

26 Oct 201703:44

Summary

TLDRThe script introduces 'Bugs Burger', a unique hamburger containing ground mealworms, a sustainable protein source. Dutch manufacturer Proteas, which has bred insects for animal feed and cosmetics for four decades, is now focusing on human consumption. With insects requiring less space, water, and feed than traditional livestock, and producing minimal CO2 emissions, they are a climate-friendly alternative. Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal founded Buck's Burger after discovering edible insects on a world trip. Their burger, made from ground mealworms mixed with peas, water, and spices, aims to reduce meat consumption and its environmental impact. Despite initial skepticism, the concept is gaining popularity, and with the legalization of insect food products in Germany on the horizon, Buck's Burger is set to disrupt the fast-food industry.

Takeaways

🍔 The 'Bucks Burger' is a unique hamburger that includes ground-up insect larvae as half of its meat patty.
🐛 The main ingredient of the burger is ground mealworms, which are the larvae of the darkling beetle.
🇳🇱 The insect larvae for the burger are bred in the Dutch town of Eerbeek, where the manufacturer has been breeding insects for about forty years.
🔍 Nicol Ruud, the plant manager of Proteas arm, regularly checks the quality of the worms used in the burgers.
🌍 Around two billion people worldwide consume insects daily, but it remains a taboo in Europe.
🕊️ Eating insects is considered normal within five years in Europe, according to the plant manager's prediction.
🌱 Insects are a sustainable source of energy with 50% protein content and require minimal space, water, and feed compared to other animals.
💨 The larvae produce minimal CO2 emissions, making them an environmentally friendly option.
📦 The worms are raised in boxes, consuming grain, and are harvested after three months, then flash frozen and shipped.
💡 Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal founded Buck's Burger after being inspired by edible insects during their world trip.
🚀 The founders started their business with 10,000 euros and have grown to employ a team of four people.
🤔 Initially, friends and family thought the idea was crazy, but now they find it cool and are eager to try the burgers.
🍽️ The burger patties are made by mixing ground mealworms with peas, water, and a secret spice mixture.
🌳 The founders aim to reduce meat consumption for environmental benefits, such as using less grain for cattle feed.
🌍 They hope their business can serve as a model for other countries, especially developing ones, to adopt insect-based diets.
🇩🇪 In Germany, it is currently illegal to sell food products containing insects, but this will change next year.
🍴 A few restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands already offer Bucks burgers on their menus, priced between 12 and 17 euros.

Q & A

What is unique about the Bucks burger?
-The unique aspect of the Bucks burger is that half of the meat patty consists of ground-up insect larvae.
Who is the student that tried the Bucks burger and what did they think?
-The student who tried the Bucks burger is Baraboo Cumin, and they thought it was a good experience.
What is the main ingredient in the Vera's Box burger?
-The main ingredient in Vera's Box burger is ground mealworms, which are the larvae of the darkling beetle.
Where does the production of insect burgers begin and what is the history of insect breeding in this location?
-The production of insect burgers begins in the Dutch town of Alkmaar, where insects have been bred for about forty years, mainly as animal feed and for the cosmetics industry.
Who is Nicol Ruud and what is his role in the insect burger production?
-Nicol Ruud is the plant manager of Proti'farm, and he performs regular checks on the quality of the worms used in the insect burgers.
How many people eat insects daily worldwide, and what is the current perception of insect consumption in Europe?
-Around two billion people around the world eat insects daily, but it is still considered a big taboo in Europe.
What is Nicol Ruud's prediction for the future of insect consumption in Europe?
-Nicol Ruud predicts that within five years, it will be quite normal to eat insects, and they will be an ingredient in a lot of food products.
What are the environmental benefits of using insects as a food source?
-Insects are a sustainable source of energy containing 50% protein, requiring only a fraction of the space, water, and feed that breeding higher orders of animals requires, and their CO2 emissions are minimal.
Who are the founders of Buck's burger and what is their background?
-Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal are the founders of Buck's burger. They started their company, Bug Foundation, in 2014 with 10,000 euros in start-up capital.
How did the founders of Buck's burger come up with the idea for their business?
-The founders first encountered edible insects during a world trip seven years ago, which inspired them to start their business.
What is the current legal status of selling insect-based food products in Germany, and what changes are expected in the future?
-It is currently illegal to sell food products containing insects in Germany, but starting next year, selling insect food products will be legalized.
What is the price range of the Bucks burgers, and where can they be found on menus currently?
-The exotic hamburgers cost between 12 and 17 euros, and they are currently available on the menus of a few restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Outlines

00:00

🍔 Insect-Based Burgers: A Sustainable Alternative

The script introduces a unique burger that incorporates ground insect larvae into its meat patty, specifically mealworms, the larvae of the darkling beetle. The Dutch town of Oirlo produces these insects, which have been traditionally used for animal feed and cosmetics but are now increasingly being used for human consumption. The plant manager of Proteas Arm, Nicol Ruud, emphasizes the sustainability of insects as a food source, highlighting their high protein content, minimal space, water, and feed requirements, and low CO2 emissions. The larvae are harvested after three months of consuming grain, then flash frozen and shipped to customers.

🌍 Global Perspective on Insect Consumption

Around two billion people worldwide already consume insects daily, but in Europe, it remains a taboo. Despite this, the script suggests that within five years, insect consumption could become normalized and integrated into various food products in Europe. The founders of Buck's Burger, Max Kramer and Bas Ishorst, started their business with the idea of promoting edible insects after encountering them during their travels. They faced initial skepticism from friends and family, but their concept has since gained popularity.

🚀 Entrepreneurial Journey of Buck's Burger

Buck's Burger was founded in 2014 by Max Kramer and Bas Ishorst with a modest start-up capital of 10,000 euros. The company has since grown to employ a team of four people. The founders spent over a year developing their burger patties, which are made by mixing ground mealworms with peas, water, and a secret spice blend. Their goal is to promote a diet with less meat consumption for environmental benefits, such as reduced grain usage for cattle feed and lower greenhouse gas emissions from insect farming compared to traditional livestock.

🌱 Environmental Impact and Future Prospects

The script discusses the environmental benefits of the insect-based burger, noting that it could lead to less meat consumption, which in turn would reduce the amount of grain needed for cattle feed and lower the overall environmental impact. The founders of Buck's Burger hope their product will serve as a model for other countries, particularly developing nations where the consumption of insects has declined in favor of adopting Western diets. Currently, it is illegal to sell food products containing insects in Germany, but a few restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands have already started offering Buck's burgers. The script concludes with the anticipation of legalized insect food products in Germany from the next year, signaling a potential expansion for the bug foundation and the fast-food industry.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Insect Burger

An 'Insect Burger' is a type of burger where part of the meat patty is made from ground-up insect larvae. In the context of the video, it represents an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional beef burgers. The script mentions a 'Bucks Burger' which uses ground mealworms as a main ingredient, illustrating the shift towards edible insects for environmental and health reasons.

💡Mealworms

Mealworms are the larval stage of the darkling beetle and are used as a primary ingredient in the insect burger. They are highlighted in the video as a sustainable protein source, with the script noting that they contain 50% protein and require significantly less resources compared to traditional livestock.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in this video refers to the environmental impact and resource efficiency of producing insect burgers as opposed to traditional meat. The script emphasizes that insects need less space, water, and feed than higher orders of animals, and they produce minimal CO2 emissions, making them a more sustainable choice.

💡Proteas arm

Proteas arm is the company mentioned in the script that breeds insects, primarily for animal feed and the cosmetics industry, but increasingly for human consumption as well. The plant manager, Nicol Ruud, checks the quality of the worms, indicating the company's role in the production of insect-based food products.

💡Taboo

The term 'taboo' is used in the script to describe the cultural aversion to eating insects in Europe. Despite the fact that around two billion people worldwide consume insects daily, it is still considered unconventional in European societies. The video suggests that this perception may change within the next five years.

💡Bug Foundation

Bug Foundation is the company founded by Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal in 2014, which started with the idea of producing insect-based food products. The script describes their journey from being thought of as crazy to becoming cool and innovative, highlighting the shift in societal attitudes towards edible insects.

💡Climate Friendliness

Climate friendliness is a concept in the video that relates to the environmental benefits of consuming insect burgers. The script suggests that the lower resource requirements and minimal CO2 emissions of insect farming contribute positively to climate change mitigation.

💡Western Lifestyle

The 'Western Lifestyle' in the script refers to the dietary habits often associated with Western countries, such as the consumption of beef burgers. The video contrasts this with traditional insect consumption in developing countries, suggesting that the adoption of Western dietary habits has led to a decrease in sustainable insect eating practices.

💡Legalization

The script mentions the upcoming legalization of selling insect food products in Germany from the next year. This is significant as it represents a formal acceptance and regulation of insect-based foods in the market, potentially leading to wider adoption.

💡Fast Food Business

The 'Fast Food Business' is alluded to in the video as a potential growth area for the Bug Foundation. With the impending legalization of insect food products in Germany, the founders of Bug Foundation are planning to enter the fast-food market, indicating a move towards mainstream acceptance of insect-based fast food.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is exemplified in the video through the story of Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal, who started Bug Foundation with a modest capital and have grown it into a team of four. Their entrepreneurial spirit is highlighted as they overcome initial skepticism to develop and market insect burgers, showcasing the potential for innovation in the food industry.

Highlights

A burger called 'Bucks burger' is made with half of the meat patty consisting of ground-up insect larvae.

The main ingredient in the burger is ground mealworms, the larvae of the darkling beetle.

Insects have been bred in the Dutch town of Oirlo for about forty years, primarily for animal feed and cosmetics.

Nicol Ruud, plant manager of Proteas Arm, ensures the quality of the worms used in the burgers.

Around two billion people globally consume insects daily, but it remains taboo in Europe.

Nicol Ruud predicts insects will be a normal part of European diets within five years.

Insects are a sustainable source of energy, with 50% protein content.

Breeding insects requires significantly less space, water, and feed compared to higher animals.

Insects produce minimal CO2 emissions.

The larvae are harvested after living for three months in boxes and consuming grain.

Max Kramer and Bearish Ersal are the founders of Buck's burger and started their company 'Bug Foundation' in 2014.

The founders initially faced skepticism from friends and family about their edible insect business idea.

They spent over a year developing their burger patties, mixing ground mealworms with peas, water, and a secret spice.

The founders aim to reduce meat consumption for environmental benefits, such as less grain for cattle feed.

They also hope to influence developing countries to return to eating insects as an alternative to beef burgers.

In Germany, it is currently illegal to sell food products containing insects.

A few restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands already offer Buck's burgers on their menus.

Buck's burgers are priced between 12 and 17 euros.

From next year, selling insect food products will be legalized in Germany, allowing the founders to expand their business.