Bugs: your dog’s been eating them anyway—why not make it official? In this episode of Barking Mad, Jordan and Dr. Steph dig deep into the world of insect-based pet nutrition—from black soldier fly larvae to crickets to mealworms. You’ll hear from scientists, brand leaders, and strategists about the surprising nutritional benefits, sustainability wins, and cultural hurdles of feeding bugs to our pets. Whether you’re intrigued or totally grossed out, this episode will challenge what you thought you knew about both “ick” and innovation.

Helpful Links

🦗 Learn more about the companies and brands featured in today’s episode:

• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA): https://www.nacia.org/  
• Enviroflight: https://www.darlingii.com/enviroflight
• Protix: https://protix.com/
• Entosystem: https://entosystem.com/en/
• Ynsect: https://www.ynsect.com/
• Yora Pet Foods: https://yorapets.com/uk/
• Tuggs: https://www.tuggs.uk/
• Wilder Harrier: https://www.wilderharrier.com/

🔬 Check out Protix’s cutting-edge research on the nutritional benefits of black soldier fly-based dog and cat food: https://protix.com/discovery-centre

🦐 The surprising similarity of bugs and crustaceans:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/you-might-think-of-shrimp-as-bugs-of-the-sea-but-a-remarkable-discovery-shows-the-opposite-bugs-are-actually-shrimp-of-the-land-180986303/

🤔 Did you know there are already bugs in your food? Read more here: https://bsmpartners.net/insights/creepy-crawly-cuisine-when-banning-synthetics-comes-with-tradeoffs/

🌱 Tune in to our previous sustainability episodes

• ♻️ Is Recyclable Pet Food Packaging A Lie? Unraveling The Pet Industry’s Plastic Waste Problem: https://bsmpartners.net/barking-mad-podcast/is-recyclable-pet-food-packaging-a-lie-unraveling-the-pet-industrys-plastic-waste-problem
• 🍎 One Man’s Trash Is Another Dog’s Treasure: The Story of Upcycled Pet Food: https://bsmpartners.net/barking-mad-podcast/one-mans-trash-is-another-dogs-treasure-the-story-of-upcycled-pet-food
• 🚜 The Beautiful Story of Regenerative Agriculture: Does the Future of Pet Food Start with Soil?: https://bsmpartners.net/barking-mad-podcast/the-beautiful-story-of-regenerative-agriculture-does-the-future-of-pet-food-start-with-soil
• 🐱 Looking for Love: Swiping Right on Sustainable Cat Litter: https://bsmpartners.net/barking-mad-podcast/looking-for-love-swiping-right-on-sustainable-cat-litter

Show Notes

00:00 – Inside the Episode

02:45 – Why Bugs?

04:44 – Current Regulatory Approval

06:12 – The Buzz on BSFL Nutrition: Brain Fuel, Bacteria-Fighting Peptides, and Chitin

16:48 – Mealworm Nutrition for Pets: Low-Fat, Natural Fiber, and Hypoallergenic

19:29 – The Crunch on Crickets: Complete Protein, Essential Vitamins, and Chitin

20:20 – Unearthing the Sustainability Story

23:52 – Are Insects Tasty to Our Pets?

25:10 – Sticker Shock

28:12 – The Ick Factor

30:46 – A Marketer’s Perspective

39:54 – The More You Know

42:01 – Final Thoughts

44:30 – Today’s Key Takeaways