Kicker - Edible worms

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Well, if you’re looking to change up your diet a little bit, we have some news for you. 

An exotic delicacy’s been added to the list of foods safe to eat, according to the European Food Safety Authority.

Ready for this, Megan?

BASHAM: I’m ready. 

Dried yellow mealworms. 

BASHAM: Always up for dinner ideas! 

Thanks for the heads up. Researchers said the worms are a protein-rich snack. You can eat them whole or in powdered form. Or as an ingredient in more fanciful dishes. 

Of course, mealworms are the larvae of the darkling beetle and usually fed to pet reptiles and fish. The “yuck” factor may lessen over time; after all, Central Americans and Africans already enjoy them. 

I think I’ll pass.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot) In this Feb. 18, 2015 file photo, meal worms are sorted before being cooked in San Francisco. 

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.