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First it was pets, then fish.Now it's poultry(家禽)and pigs. The list of animals 【小题1】(allow)to feed on insects is growing.A new EU law authorizing(授权)the use of insect protein in poultry and pig feed(饲料)came 【小题2】 force earlier this month.
Since a ban on processed animal protein was imposed in 2001 in the wake of the“mad cow”crisis, soy and fishmeal 【小题3】 (become)the base of animal feed in Europe. 【小题4】,their production needs lots of space and can be harmful to the environment,so feed manufacturers are looking for alternatives.Insects are just the ticket.They are raised in farms 【小题5】 require little land or water, and they can be fed on agricultural by-products or food waste such as rotting fruit and vegetables. They're also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.
The one thing going against them is price: insect protein is two to three times 【小题6】(expensive)than fishmeal.Increasing production may help reduce the difference.Insect companies have worked hard.Research suggests insects may be more than mere feed,boosting growth rates and immune systems as well as filling 【小题7】 (stomach).They also offer the prospect of a green,local protein.
Poultry and pig feed are by far 【小题8】 largest animal-feed markets,but they're more 【小题9】(compete)than food for pets or fish. This year the European Food Safety Agency has ruled that three species of insects (yellow mealworm, locusts and house crickets) are safe for humans to eat as well. 【小题10】 surprises them is that people seem less keen on the idea than chickens and pigs.