In October 2024, reports spread on social networks that in order to combat global warming, the diet of Dutch schoolchildren was replacing meat with insects. We have verified the accuracy of such publications.
On October 10, a video in Dutch, apparently filmed in a school class, began to circulate on Telegram channels. A man invites children to try mealworms and distributes them to students. “As part of the fight against global warming, school authorities changed the diet of students, replacing red meat with insects. The World Economic Forum previously called on humanity to eat worms, and European countries supported this idea,” commented the video on the Telegram channel “Live broadcast • news"(771,000 views at the time of writing this analysis). The author of the post noted that worms and other insects are now included in the menu of 100 Dutch schools. Similar publications then appeared in the channels “KB"(235,000), "Truthfulness"(191,000), "Uncle Slava"(191,000), "Putin on Telegram"(182,000) and ("Voblya • news"(151,000).
Ideas use insects and their larvae as an alternative source of protein are becoming increasingly popular, especially given that many cultures insects are already considered everyday food, and sometimes even a delicacy. So, in Kenya they eat termites, in Mexico - grasshoppers, in Japan - locusts, in Korea - silkworm larvae, etc. Insects in one form or another are found in the diet of residents more than half countries of the world.
Proponents of this concept explain: the search for alternative sources of protein is necessary to save resources, as well as to take care of the climate and the environment. So, on average, the production of 100 g of beef is spent more than 1500 liters of water, for 100 g of pork - about 600 liters, and for 100 g mealworms - only 434 liters. Share of livestock have to about 35% of all methane emissions associated with human activities, while greenhouse gas emissions from insect farming significantly lower.
To date, the European Union has recognized four types of insects as a safe source of protein: migratory locusts, house crickets and two types of mealworms (larvae large flour beetle And tar-brown beetle). Nevertheless, their introduction into the mass daily diet still remains a controversial issue: according to research, conducted recently in six European countries, only a third of respondents had at least once tried insects or products made with them.
In the upper left corner of the viral video, a logo with the word Oost is visible. This is the name of the news channel of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Using a keyword search on the website of the TV company "Verified" I found original publications with this video. The note is dated October 14, 2022. It follows from it that the report was filmed in the city of Zwolle at a primary school De Octopus (“Octopus”), where a lesson was held as part of the program “Operation Taste: Unusual Proteins" It was developed with the participation of Wageningen University and Research Center, one hundred primary schools in the province of Overijssel took part. During the class, children were given a variety of alternative protein sources to try: seaweed, tofu, several types of legumes, as well as mealworms and insects. The Operation Taste program also includes other series of thematic lessons dedicated to vegetables, fats, grain products and even food waste.
Agency fact checkers dpa contacted the administration of the De Octopus school and received confirmation that the viral video has nothing to do with the daily nutrition of children. “This is absolute misinformation,” a school representative responded to a request from journalists. — Our students bring snacks, lunches and drinks with them from home. We don't have rules about what you can or can't put on a sandwich, although we certainly encourage healthy eating." Same policy adhere to and other public schools in the country.
Almost identical critical posts about the “Operation Taste” program in different languages started appear V social networks back in 2022, immediately after the publication of the Oost report. As a result of numerous reposts and discussions, the mention of the program disappeared from the texts and subsequently the essence of the posts began to boil down to the fact that in Dutch schools children are now being fed worms. In this version, this information reached Russian-language social networks.
Thus, the publications of Telegram channels that worm dishes were included in the menu of school canteens in the Netherlands do not correspond to reality. The children from the report that the bloggers refer to participated in a class two years ago dedicated to introducing alternative sources of protein. This has nothing to do with the daily diet of schoolchildren, especially since in public schools in the Netherlands there is no centralized nutrition and children bring food from home.
Cover photo: oost.nl
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