Swiss supermarket introduces mealworm 'Insect Burgers'

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A Swiss supermarket chain announced it will soon start selling an unusual beef substitute -- burger patties made from mealworms.

Grocery chain Coop announced seven of its locations in Switzerland will become the first stores to offer manufacturer Essento's Insect Burgers -- as well as meatball-like Insect Balls -- starting next Monday.

Both products contain ground-up mealworms as their source of protein.

The bug burgers also contain rice, carrots various spices for flavor. They are projected to sell for about $9.25 for a pack of two patties, while packs of 10 meatballs are planned to sell for the same amount.

"They have a high culinary potential, their production saves resources and their nutritional profile is high-quality," said Christian Bartsch, co-founder of Essento. "Thus insects are the perfect complement to a modern diet."

Coop said it plans to expand its offerings of edible insect products by the end of the year.