Who Likes to Eat Maggots?

Katharina Unger, an industrial design graduate of University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria has developed the Farm 432 device that can harvest half a kilogram of larvae (maggots) every week, which is enough for two meals. She says the maggots are nutritious delicacies. Count me out Ms Unger!

She describes the cooked larvae as smelling like starchy potatoes with a nutty and meaty taste.

The machine is designed to be the perfect environment for flies and their larvae allowing in enough light and space for them to grow. While the current design is for home use, the system can be scaled up for professional kitchens.

It is also easy enough for anyone to use, she says. To begin with, you simply drop some black soldier fly larvae into an appliance chamber. Here they grow and then move to a larger chamber, mate and produce larva. This falls down into a separate area, where it matures, moves on up a tube, and falls into a cup. Some larvae are dropped back into the machine to restart the process, while the rest are ready to eat.

Farm 432 Maggot Machine

Black Soldier flies were chosen as they are easy to breed and contain up to 42 per cent protein - double the amount in the average chicken breast - and a high level of calcium and amino acids.

A gram of Black Soldier fly eggs can become 2.4 kilograms of edible protein after 432 hours in the Farm 432.

But if Black Soldier flies aren’t to your taste then other larvae may be used in the same way.

The United Nations is in agreement. In a recent report, it suggests that insects are a viable source of protein for humans, animals and pets.

The report highlighted grasshoppers, ants and other bugs as protein-packed substitutes that are less harmful to the environment than traditional meat.

Ms Unger recommends eating the larvae with tomato risotto.

‘I like to mix parboiled rice with wild rice together with the larvae, put a lot of tomato sauce in it and a bit of parmesan cheese,’ she said.

‘A bit of parsley or basil on top and you have a perfect meal.’