A July 29, 2022, tweet that has been shared and liked thousands of times makes the claim, sharing a screenshot of a text saying: "This is not food for mammals. Only BIRDS can process insect food in safe conditions. Birds digestion apparatus is COMPLETELY different as ours…”
Screenshot taken on August 12, shows a tweet
The tweet includes a text that was also shared on Facebook in early August, including in Canada, which says: "Insects contain CHITIN which cannot be processed by our gut."
It continues: "But chitin is a polysacharide which is very tasty to cancer, parasites, fungi and pretty-much all what give you sickness. Chitin is a building part of them! Also they contain METAMORPHIC steroids especially ecdysterone."
It spread amid a flurry of claims that global elites want to force people to eat insects as organizations like the World Economic Forum, a frequent target of disinformation, promoted it as a way to fight climate change because they require less resources than other animal food sources like cattle. Insects have been part of the human diet for thousands of years and are still consumed by billions of people in different cultures worldwide.
The text shared on social media makes several misleading claims, according to experts.
Chitin is the second-most common polysaccharide (after cellulose) found in nature and is part of the exoskeletons of insects as well as crustaceans, fungi, bacteria, yeast and algae, among others. It can be used as a fertilizer, a food additive, and for medical purposes.
Mareike Janiak, first author of a study on chitinase (enzymes that degrade chitin) genes published in 2018 in Molecular Biology and Evolution, said that while chitin may not be fully digestible, that does not necessarily make it harmful to the human body.
"Biologists thought for a long time that mammals did not produce an enzyme that could break down chitin, however, that would not mean that an insect could not be processed by the gut," she told AFP in an email.
She compared chitin to cellulose, making up the cell walls of many plants, for which the human body does not have an enzyme capable of degrading it.
"We still eat things like celery and they are good for us," she explained.
While some parts of vegetables may not be fully digested, the insoluble fibers they contain still contribute to overall health.
"Our guts extract the nutrients from vegetation and pass the indigestible fiber, which keeps things moving along our digestive tract and gives us healthy bowel movements. Lack of insoluble fiber can lead to constipation, for example."
Janiak's research found that primates (the order of mammals to which humans belong), such as mice and insectivorous bats, may use a specific enzyme to digest the chitin in insect exoskeletons, providing potentially significant nutritional benefits.
"People thought chitin was like cellulose for mammals for a long time -- an insoluble fiber that was passed through the gut, while energy and nutrients were extracted from the rest of the insect. However, the discovery of the enzyme "acidic mammalian chitinase" in the stomachs of mice and bats has called this into question and strongly suggests that some mammals can indeed digest chitin," she explained.
"Humans, along with many other primates, have a functional gene for this enzyme, so it's possible that we can actually process chitin in our guts. That said, even if we couldn't, it would just get passed through our system, just like the cellulose in celery and other vegetables."
A literature review published in 2021 in Journal of Functional foods says: "Chitin contains 90.6% of total dietary fiber and it can be defined as a functional food component providing special benefits to food, for instance contributing to colonic health, coronary artery health, and cholesterol reduction amongst many others."
The post also says that insects contain "METAMORPHIC steroids, especially ecdysterone," and that it is "not a food for mammals."
Ecdysteroids are a class of steroid hormones found in arthropods (invertebrates with an exoskeleton), which regulate their development, including molting and reproduction. Ecdysterone can be used as a sports performance enhancer and was found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.
Dominique Bureau, professor at the department of Animal Bioscience of the University of Guelph, told AFP in an email that it is misleading to say that it would necessarily be harmful because "virtually all animal tissues or foods will contain some amounts of steroid hormones."
"Milk, meat, liver, etc. will all contain hormones. Foods of plant origin, like many oilseeds and legumes, will contain precursors of steroid hormones (e.g. phytoestrogens like isoflavones in soybean products)," he said.
René Lafont, professor emeritus at the Institute of Biology Paris-Seine at Sorbonne Université, agreed.
He told AFP in an email that these hormones are indeed present in small quantities in insects, but also in much larger quantities in plants (phytoecdysteroids), including in some of the plants humans consume such as spinach and quinoa.
"These compounds are not toxic to humans and even have interesting anabolic and anti-diabetic properties," he said.
Claiming that insects are not a food for mammals is "categorically false," according to Mareike Janiak.
Anteaters, shrews, armadillos are examples of mammals eating insects, some of them almost exclusively, she explained.
"Importantly, many primates eat insects, including many small monkeys (capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, tamarins to name a few), tarsiers, but also chimpanzees, our closest living relatives," she said.
A study published in January 2020 in NFS Journal found that edible insects’ nutritional quality is "equivalent and sometimes exceeds that of animal-based foods."
"This and the fact that edible insects have a faster growth rate, high food conversion efficiency and requires less resources to rear compared to livestock should make them a more attractive quality food source especially to the rural poor in the developing countries."
It notes, however, that while eating insects may be considered safe in countries where entomophagy is practiced, "this is not the case in most developed countries where most consumers are wary of their safety, thus hesitant to include them in their diets."
"The scientific literature on edible insects food safety aspects is limited. There is therefore a need for more research geared towards understanding the risks involved in their consumption to safeguard consumer health," it concludes.
Graphic on selected edible bugs creeping onto tables around the world. ( AFP / Gal ROMA, Laurence CHU, John SAEKI)
While touted as a way to sustainably increase food supply amid an increasingly warming planet, a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reminded that efforts have to be made to ensure food safety in the production and consumption of edible insects to avoid allergenic, biological, chemical or physical hazards.
It says risks can be higher when insects are harvested from the wild and consumed raw, and that people allergic to shellfish should not consume some of them.
A Michelin Guide article recommends to find out the insects' origin and cook them thoroughly prior to eating them, just like with any other food ingredient.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also says that along with Health Canada, it monitors edible insects for chemical hazards such as pesticides and heavy metals, bacterial hazards like pathogens and other potential food safety issues.
ANTI-NARCOTICS operatives revealed that a trustee of a drug lord is the alleged mastermind of two former inmates who were arrested in a drug bust at 9 p.m. Wednesday, August 10, 2022, in Sitio San Vicente, Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City.The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA 7), however, refused to give to the media the name of the drug lord, who operates in Cebu City, so as not to jeopardize their follow-up operation.The drug raid resulted in the arrest of Rey Steven Buena
THE Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Lapu-Lapu City Chapter elected City Councilor Jan Vincent “Janvi” Dela Serna as president on Thursday, August 11, 2022.Dela Serna expressed his gratitude to his party mates, led by Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, for their trust and support.“I am over the moon. I feel extremely honored for the trust that my fellow City Councilors have in me, electing me as president of the Philippine Councilor League-Lapu Lapu City Chapter. I will take on this role seriously, wi
THE Mandaue City Government is planning again to conduct another clearing operation to relocate families living within the three-meter easement of the different rivers in the city.Lawyer Jamaal James Calipayan, city administrator, told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, that they started the clearing operations in 2012 but suspended it in 2020 to give the residents leeway due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.Among the areas that were affected by the clearing operations were C
Some residents have already reported experiencing respiratory troubles.
THE number 1 most wanted person in Cebu was arrested around 10 a.m. Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Sitio Tugasan, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.The joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Cebu Province and the Regional Intelligence Unit in Central Visayas (RIU 7) served the warrant of arrest against the suspect identified as Rhommel Dano Estoquia, 21, in his residence.Judge Stephen Belacho of Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 22 issued the warrant after finding
From Philippine presidents to fellow athletes, Lydia de Vega is undeniably loved by many, even in death. Read their tributes.
An overseas Filipino worker died in a workplace-related accident in Macau. This is how the tragedy happened.
A SANITATION worker for a food manufacturing firm in Compostela town was arrested after he tried to sneak out a bottle of chlorine worth P61 from their plant on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.When local police asked him why he committed the crime, Florito Pelit, 28, said he only did so because he wanted to disinfect the rainwater stored in the concrete tank in his residence so it can be used by his two children.SunStar Cebu withholds the name of the firm pending its comment.Lt. Andrew Rellanos, Compost
AFTER three days of relentless clearing operations, the Cebu City Government has cleared about 400 of the 600 illegal structures encroaching on the Kinalumsan River.The structures were situated along a two-kilometer riverbank in Barangays Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling, Councilor Jerry Guardo told SunStar Cebu Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.Guardo said the clearing team did not encounter any resistance as some of the affected residents voluntarily demolished their structures.The clearing operation was cond
HARNESSING modern technology—such as cashless payment systems and digitalization—is the future of the travel and tourism industry in the Philippines, stakeholders said.Carl Bryan Enerio, regional business head for enterprise sales at Maya Business, said e-wallet and other cashless modes of payment are the future of the tourism industry.Enerio said it is much easier for merchants and business owners to shift from physical transactions to e-commerce especially in the mode of payment.He said most F
The TNT Tropang Giga blasted the Magnolia Hotshots, 102-84, in Game Four to move a win away from booking a spot in the PBA Season 47 Philippine Cup finals on Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.Big man Poy Erram secured a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Cebuano wingman Roger Pogoy had 18 points of his own as TNT took a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.Mikey Williams also came alive in the fourth, where he scored 12 of his 15 total points, after a listless fir
THE number 1 most wanted person in Cebu was arrested around 10 a.m. Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Sitio Tugasan, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.The joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Cebu Province and the Regional Intelligence Unit in Central Visayas (RIU 7) served the warrant of arrest against the suspect identified as Rhommel Dano Estoquia, 21, in his residence.Judge Stephen Belacho of Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 22 issued the warrant after finding
Starkwood Properties-2009 took down the Marjaztin Glass Trading & Construction-2008, 83-70, to nab their first victory in Division B of the 25th Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA) last Wednesday at the Magis Eagles Arena inside the Ateneo de Cebu campus in Mandaue City.The win bumped 2009’s record to 1-3 while 2008 plunged to 0-3 for the season. 2009 seized control of the match in the second canto as they turned a slim 22-17 lead into a sizable 42-27 advantage a
The program aims to train Filipino nurses faster and more efficiently. Will this solve the country’s problem of nurse shortage?
UP TO 4,000 police and emergency rescue personnel will be deployed to provide security during the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival next Sunday, August 28, 2022, the Cebu Provincial Government announced through its Sugbo News portal.The joint personnel from the Cebu City Police Office, Cebu Police Provincial Office, disaster risk reduction and management office, traffic management office and emergency response team in Cebu City will be assigned along the parade route on Osmeña Boulevard and at the Ceb
You know you’re getting old, my favorite law professor Teddy Almase once told me, when you start missing some steps that you used to make even with your eyes closed around the house. It starts with your eyesight, former Talisay City mayor Delia Bacaltos Tiu said on another occasion, and it goes downhill from there.I had sage advice about getting old. Nobody taught me what it was like when you got there.I turned 70 this year. Along the way, I had angioplasty, dealt with a volatile blood pressure
After Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined a draft referendum question on whether to set up a consultative Indigenous body to parliament, social media users shared a claim that this would also lead to Australians losing their private property rights. The claim is false. Legal experts told AFP that the Indigenous body -- or "voice" -- would have neither the power to pass laws nor take away property."Did you know, Under the Native Title Act, aborigines have no private property righ
A language commission banned the distribution of five books. Why is the government hell-bent on banning these books?
A TALISAY City councilor is eyeing to replicate the Sugbo Merkado at the IT Park in Barangay Apas, Cebu City.Councilor Eduardo “Digul” Gullas, younger brother of Mayor Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas, said though that they still have to find a lot where they can establish the food park."Mag estorya mi mag-brainstorm mi human among estoryahan uban ni mayor, ang pangitaon gyud ana ang lot," Gullas said on Tuesday, August 9, 2022.(We will discuss and brainstorm ideas and talk with the mayor afterwar
Nigeria’s opposition Labour Party tweeted a set of images of large crowds as proof that the “one million march” for its presidential candidate Peter Obi in the country’s northern Nasarawa state drew huge support. While the majority of the images show the event, two were taken at a political rally in Kenya days before the country held elections on August 9, 2022.“More pictures from One Million Man March For Peter Obi in Lafia, Nasarawa State,” reads a tweet by Nigeria’s Labour Party. “It was a ma