LAUSR

Abstract Malnutrition is a major health problem especially in many developing nations. Ironically, communities that suffer from undernourishment especially in rural areas often have plenty of nutritious wild foods. However, stigma against such foods, limited seasonal availability, limited or no diversification of such foods can be hindrance to the consumption and all-year accessibility of these foods. This project has developed and demonstrated simple, affordable processes to potentially produce dried soups containing mopane worms, an edible insect common in arid and semi-arid southern African countries. The manufacturing of these pre-mixes requires relatively simple, easy to use equipment to process the raw materials. The enhanced protein content and possibly quality of the developed products can be beneficial especially to people who have less access to meat products. This piece has demonstrated the enhancement of nutrition by making “scary-looking” worms become part of our meals without seeing its presence. The potential use of the developed products depends on pending consumer sensory tests, nutrient bioavailability and technology transfer uptake and ultimately its commercialisation by Small and Medium Enterprises.