gepubliceerd op 2010-02-05 00:00:00.0
Food is something that is of concern to everybody on this planet. Poor or rich, young or old, European or African; everybody has to eat. As a student of Food Sciences, Harmke Klunder is very interested in the global problems concerning food. “When I read something about a competition that asked for a ‘technological’ solution for the global food problem, my enthusiasm was triggered straight away. Three international fellow students (Mexican, Turkish and Polish) and myself came up with this idea to mix sorghum porridge (Sorghum is a grain and a very important food source in Africa) with termites.” It was because of this idea that the four students were invited for the finale in the United States. And… they even won it!
“As a solution, we wanted to come up with something that would be nutritious in the first place; easy to prepare; and locally available, so that the people who would want to it, would not depend on others,” says Harmke. “Sorghum porridge is eaten in many places in Africa. Often the porridge is fermented; bacteria metabolize sugars into other components during this anaerobic process. The result is a product that is often sour (like yoghurt), easy to digest, tasty and can be preserved relatively well. If people don’t have money to eat meat, fish or beans besides their portions of sorghum porridge, they will lack essential nutrients such as specific proteins. Because of this they can become mal- or under-nourished. It is therefore of great importance that these people use an easy and cheap source of proteins.”
Insects are common all over the world and are especially abundant in Africa. Besides that, insects are highly nutritious and they contain many ‘good’ proteins and fat. “We thought it was a good idea to use insects to enrich the porridge. We chose termites because they are one of the most nutritious insects and because they are widespread in Africa, especially during the rainy season, when they breed.”
When Harmke and her team members heard that they were invited for the finals in America, they were astonished. Harmke: “It is wonderful when you find out that your idea is appreciated. Besides that, there are worse things than going to America for a week, even if there is work that has to be done.”
After winning the award, Harmke did not abandon the porridge; during her thesis she will do laboratory tests to find out whether the food can really be produced, what would be the best way to do this and what would be the characteristics of the end-product: no-one has ever tried to ferment insects before! “Luckily own initiatives like these are very well supported by teachers and professors here in Wageningen, because there is a lot that needs to be done for such a research. I am very happy I use my knowledge to contribute to global problems!”
