Ag experts say insects a food source

TOKYO, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Agricultural experts say insects will become an important source of protein as food prices and populations continue to rise worldwide.

Fifty researchers working with the United Nations named Bamboo caterpillars, crickets and locust the most edible insects in the Asia-Pacific region, with fly larva showing promise, said Jun Mihashi, a former professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture.

U.N. statistics warn of a shortage of grains as the world's population nears 9.2 billion in 2050.

''The amount of food, including meat, will decrease. Insects with high

protein and high fat should be used effectively,'' Mihashi said.

Insects once were a staple in Thailand, China and Japan, but disappeared from most menus as modern processed foods were introduced, Kyodo News reported Sunday.

"In other regions, boiled locusts are considered weird, but we love them here,'" said Harumi Tsukahara, 91, whose family supplies 60 percent of Japan's domestically produced locusts.