From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2007-02-20 16:46:33 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Superworms
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Okay, I found a number of sites, including a Manataka Council one
with a write-up by a 17 year old, Aletheia Price, who writes better
than many adult professional writers.
There are many types of tapeworms but the general info I have found
indicates that cooking eliminates the risk, and for at least some
freezing also eliminates the risk. Hopefully, there is more specific
info available.
BTW, there are also several larvae called mealworms, I am finding,
and they are in more than one genus.
This university site is the one that seems to have the cooking safety
info need:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/bugfood/bugfood2.htm
> CLEANING AND PREPARING THE INSECTS
>
> -taken from Entertaining with Insects
>
> Insects, like lobster, are best if cooked while alive or fresh
> frozen. In contrast to beef, lamb, and poultry, postmortem changes
> rapidly render insects unpalatable. To facilitate meal planning,
> many species of insects may be kept alive for several days in the
> refrigerator.
...
> If mealworms came packed in newspaper, they need to be changed to
> bran meal or corn meal or starved for 24 hours, to purge their guts.
(I wonder if that partially tackles the tapeworms?
> To separate mealworms from any attached food, waste material, or
> other debris, place a handful of them in a colander and gently
> toss. Remove any dead worms, and wash the remaining live insects
> under cool water. Place the worms on paper towels and pat dry. The
> mealworms are ready to be cooked or frozen for later use. Crickets
> should be placed in a refrigerator before attempting to wash them,
> to slow them down. If, before they are completely washed, they
> become very active, put them back in the refrigerator. You may want
> to remove the legs, wings, and ovipositor of crickets after dry
> roasting them.
I wonder if this indicates that the freeze dried ones have already
been roasted? The company which creates them would need to be
asked. If so, any tapeworms may be dead already.
> PREPARING DRY-ROASTED INSECTS:
>
> -taken from Entertaining with Insects
>
> Take cleaned insects out of the freezer. Spread them out on a paper-
> towel covered baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-2
> hours, until the insects can be easily crushed with a spoon.
...
> In many parts of the world today, insects are a part of people's
> diets. Why? (Possible reasons might include: they are a good source
> of protein, easy to find, take up less space than cows, etc.) Their
> nutritional value is equal to if not better than our traditional
> meat choices.
...
> "I have tasted several species including dragonfly, grasshopper,
> cerambycid larvae, honeybees and termites and have found them all
> satisfactory. I DO recommend cooking all insects before eating.
> Grasshoppers, in particular, can carry several parasitic worms that
> can be passed to humans (so does beef, for that matter.)" Dave
> Pehling, W.S.U./SNOHOMISH CO. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Notice that is for human dietary needs, though. Insect fat levels
are pretty low.
BTW, some insects are supposed to taste very similar to crab,
lobster, or shrimp, and one grub when roasted is said to be even
tastier. I badly wanted to try that but my allergist figures there
might be cross-reactivity across arthropods by people allergic to
crustacea and to some stings, so I have had to miss out... (Everyone
eats some insects without knowing it in flours, juices, etc.)
Sukie (not a vet)
Current FHL address:
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http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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