Latest news with #Singha
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Forget a bag of cheese and onion, soon you'll be crunching on critter crisps!
The only thing stopping us all from being on the bug diet are legislation delays caused by Brexit and stigma! But eating insects is good for you – and the planet – so it's time to swallow your fears… Drinking an ice-cold Singha beer with a bag of fried, greasy insects is on most adventurous travellers' bucket lists in Bangkok. While it may take more than a few beers to nibble on a scary-looking scorpion, bugs are considered a healthy alternative to protein in Thai cuisine. Street markets sell 200 of the country's edible insect species, freshly fried and salted or sweetened—a bit like popcorn. However, in the West, the yuck factor means most of us prefer a bag of crisps with our pint rather than crispy fried crickets, but the UK Edible Insect Association (UKEIA), which hosted the recent Farmed Insect Protein Conference at Nottingham University, says bug beer snacks are much better for us nutritionally. And as I discovered, they're not nearly as unsavoury as they look. Six-legged superfoods have twice the protein of steak, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more vitamin B12 than salmon, and even more fibre than broccoli. Insects are so good for our health and the planet says the UKEIA, we should be adding them to our daily diets. Grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms are filled with lots of nutrients including nine essential amino acids, which make them an excellent source of complete protein. While creepy crawlies may look small, gram for gram, they contain more protein than beef and less than 5g of fat per serving. Compare that to my snack of choice, Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps, which have 7.4g per bag. And as everyone knows, one packet is never enough! The founder of edible insect firm Bugvita, Adam Banks, says, 'I don't think insects are going to replace crisps any time soon, but I absolutely can see a future where people are tucking into our cricket snacks instead of crisps – and they'd be a much more nutritious alternative! 'The feedback we've had from the public is that familiar formats are going to help get people past the 'yuck factor'. A cricket cookie, or pancake or brownie made from our mixes is easier for many to take a bite from than a whole insect. 'That said, because insects are a bit different and can be a little shocking to some when they first come across them, I think there is likely to remain a demand for them, ready to eat and in their natural form. They make excellent stocking fillers and Secret Santas too!' However, not everyone is keen to see bugs on the menu. As Adam reveals, 'You would be surprised how many people get in touch or leave 1-star reviews because they are convinced that Klaus Schwab and the rest of the WEF global elites are working on a plan to force people to live in a pod and only eat bugs!' And not only is eating insects good for you, it can help save the planet by fighting world hunger and reducing pollution. The world's population is growing, so we need to produce more food to feed everyone, and there are lots of insects to go around. Farmed animals need a lot of space, while bugs don't take up much land, water or feed. Not only that, but unlike cattle, insect farming produces fewer greenhouse gases. But if we can't get people chomping on whole insects, we can at least incorporate cricket powder into our foods. While Bugvita works with a cricket farm in Northern Thailand, it has its own UK food manufacturing facility in Lincolnshire solely for edible insects. 'We're testing how to put cricket powder in meals because it's such a great source of nutrition and very versatile, but most people don't really know how to use it in cooking. 'We are also doing product development work for other edible insect companies who are looking to test the waters with a new concept. It's really hard to find manufacturers happy to work with insects, because they are new and a potential allergen, so that has helped us to get established. 'And we've also partnered with another company to help them develop a frozen cricket-based mince product.' The only thing now stopping UK shoppers from being able to put edible insects in their supermarket basket is the regulatory turmoil left after Brexit. Tiziana Di Costanzo, co-founder of Horizon Insects urban farm in Ealing, West London, remains hopeful we will see them on our supermarket shelves at some point, but explains, 'The EU was in the process of approving edible insects as the referendum took shape, which has left the UK behind in its progress on this 'future of farming'. 'Brexit has created huge delays on the industry's progress, and while other EU countries are enjoying the introduction of edible insects into their diets, the UK has a lot of catching up to do in terms of legislation. While stigma and cultural ideals remain a barrier to entry, the real barrier for this emerging industry is the UK government.' It may be some time before we're all putting out bowls of locusts as party snacks, but frankly, after a few drinks, you'd be hard pushed with some of the brands to tell whether you're nibbling on Bombay or bug mix. I tested four edible insect retailers' snacks – so you don't have to… 1. Crunchy Critters, £5.99-£8.49, from First up was Honey Roast Crickets (30g), £5.99, and I tentatively had a nibble on a cricket, realised I had been worrying about nothing, and then had a mouthful to really get the honey, salt and cinnamon hit. To be honest, they just looked and tasted like sweet cinnamon-flavoured rice crispies. But then I went hardcore and unseasoned with the company's bag of Mixed Critters (30g) £8.49 of mealworms, crickets and huge locusts, which were big enough to have been involved in a few plagues during the time of Egyptian pharaohs. I munched on a few big ones, but I draw the line at being able to eyeball my snacks. I was also sent cricket flour, which can be added to a smoothie for extra protein, or you could replace a fifth of the flour in normal baking recipes with this powder. Rated: 3.5/5 2. Bugvita, £3.99- I went in next with the Maple Wood Smoked Crickets (20g) £4.99, which were probably just too strongly flavoured for my liking – I may as well have been eating maple wood chips. I had avoided the Salt and Vinegar Mealworms (20g) £3.99 because of my horror of maggoty thing,s but when I'd got a bit braver by the end of the taste test, I nibbled on a roasted insect, and found I preferred the texture of mealworm to crickets. The tangy vinegar flavour doesn't mask the nutty mealworm flavour, and I could see myself buying these to eat in future if they were more widely available. Rated: 5/5 3. Bug Farm Cricket Cookies, £7.99 from The only thing stopping these yummy chocolate chip cookies from scoring top marks was the price. But while the industry is still in its infancy, all the insect products I tried were more expensive than regular snacks. TV conservationist and bug lover Dr Sarah Beynon launched Bug Farm Foods with her chef husband Andy on a beautiful farm and nature reserve in St David's, Pembrokeshire, which is also home to the UK's first full-time edible insect cafe, Grub Kitchen, and its signature bug burger. Each cookie contains about UK-farmed 20 powdered crickets, which you can't taste at all, and I particularly liked the mocha and chilli crunch flavour cookies – they had a real kick to them (apologies for appalling pun). Rated: 4/5 4. Horizon Edible Insects, £8.99 from These guys get an extra point for sending Crunchy Dried Crickets (10g) insects in a compostable paper bag, and you do get two bags of dried insects for your money. There's really no need to have lots of flavourings added as these crickets had a mild nutty and earthy taste to them, so if you prefer your snacks unseasoned, Horizon's have no added salt, preservatives or additives. I'd probably sprinkle them over yoghurt like seeds, but they can also be incorporated into everyday recipes as an alternative protein source. Rated: 3/5
The Age
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Liberal candidate's offensive posts surface to ruffle feathers in Fowler
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says social media posts made by Liberal candidate Vivek Singha that use a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians are 'inappropriate' but has stopped short of dumping him as the party's candidate for the high-profile western Sydney seat of Fowler. Singha has apologised for a series of offensive social media posts made between August and October 2023 first revealed by ABC News. Multiple posts by Singha used derogatory terminology for First Nations people; in one he claimed: 'Everybody needs to wake up to the sleeping lazybags (the Alboriginals).' Singha told the ABC he 'should not have expressed' himself in that way. The revelations have raised questions about campaign literature circulated ahead of Saturday's federal election by Dai Le, the independent member for Fowler. A how-to-vote flier being distributed by Le ranks Vivek Singha above Labor candidate, Tu Le, One Nation candidate, Tony Margos and Greens candidate, Avery Jacob Howard. (The flier also says voters should number every box on the ballot 'in order of your choice'.) Le would not say whether her campaign will stop distributing the fliers that suggested preferencing Singha over the ALP and other candidates when asked by the Herald on Monday. Le claimed Labor was 'desperately trying to falsely link' her to the Liberal Party. 'The reality is simple: I have made it clear on my how to vote that voters should put [1] next to my name — and then number every box in the order they choose,' Le said in a statement to this masthead.
Sydney Morning Herald
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Liberal candidate's offensive posts surface to ruffle feathers in Fowler
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says social media posts made by Liberal candidate Vivek Singha that use a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians are 'inappropriate' but has stopped short of dumping him as the party's candidate for the high-profile western Sydney seat of Fowler. Singha has apologised for a series of offensive social media posts made between August and October 2023 first revealed by ABC News. Multiple posts by Singha used derogatory terminology for First Nations people; in one he claimed: 'Everybody needs to wake up to the sleeping lazybags (the Alboriginals).' Singha told the ABC he 'should not have expressed' himself in that way. The revelations have raised questions about campaign literature circulated ahead of Saturday's federal election by Dai Le, the independent member for Fowler. A how-to-vote flier being distributed by Le ranks Vivek Singha above Labor candidate, Tu Le, One Nation candidate, Tony Margos and Greens candidate, Avery Jacob Howard. (The flier also says voters should number every box on the ballot 'in order of your choice'.) Le would not say whether her campaign will stop distributing the fliers that suggested preferencing Singha over the ALP and other candidates when asked by the Herald on Monday. Le claimed Labor was 'desperately trying to falsely link' her to the Liberal Party. 'The reality is simple: I have made it clear on my how to vote that voters should put [1] next to my name — and then number every box in the order they choose,' Le said in a statement to this masthead.
ABC News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Peter Dutton won't say if Liberals should dump Fowler candidate Vivek Singha over offensive social media posts
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has refused to say whether a Liberal Party candidate who apologised for derogatory social media posts should be disendorsed ahead of Saturday's federal election. The ABC uncovered Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on In the posts from 2023, Mr Singha used a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians and made disparaging comments about federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek amid reports her daughter had experienced domestic violence. Mr Dutton declined to say on Monday if the Liberal Party should disendorse the candidate for the high-profile seat. "He has apologised for the comments and so he should have. They were inappropriate and shouldn't have been made," he said. Peter Dutton has refused to say whether Vivek Shinga ought to be disendorsed from the Liberal Party. ( AAP: Mick Tsikas ) The opposition leader pointed to the apology as a means to move on from the conversation, going on to criticise Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for preferencing the Greens across Australia and in his own seat. Mr Dutton accused the Greens of being an "antisemitic, Jew-hating party". Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Another reporter asked if Mr Dutton would call on a Labor candidate to be stood down in a similar situation to that of Mr Singha. "I answered that question earlier," he replied. Mr Singha issued an apology for his social media posts to the ABC, saying he should "not have expressed myself in that way" and regretted doing so. Plibersek blasts candidate's comments on her daughter Tanya Plibersek says she is disappointed by Mr Singha's comments. ( AAP: Lukas Coch ) Ms Plibersek lambasted Mr Singha's remarks, saying in a statement that she was disappointed to see victims of violence blamed "for not protecting themselves". "As a parent there is nothing more devastating than knowing one of your children is hurting," she said. "It is the strongest urge of any mother to protect her children, and to question herself when something goes wrong." Ms Plibersek further condemned the "victim-blaming attitudes which excuse the behaviour of perpetrators". " The fact that someone holding these views is putting himself forward for election to parliament is alarming. " Mr Singha is not expected to claim the seat of Fowler, which is seen as a contest between independent MP Dai Le and Labor candidate Tu Le. Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
ABC News
27-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Liberal candidate in Western Sydney seat of Fowler Vivek Singha apologises for offensive social media posts
The Liberal Party candidate for the high-profile Western Sydney seat of Fowler has apologised for a series of offensive social media posts uncovered by ABC News. WARNING: This article contains racist and offensive language. Vivek Singha said he regretted multiple posts on social media, in which he used a derogatory term for Indigenous Australians and also took aim at federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek over a personal family matter. The posts on X date back to 2023, in the lead up to the Voice to Parliament referendum in which he was pushing for a 'No' vote. In October 2023, an anti-Voice post from his account read: "50K per a**, already being spent, they'll want 500K per head." Mr Singha issued multiple posts from August to October 2023 using derogatory terminology. ( Supplied: Vivek Singha ) The social media platform flagged it as a possible violation of its rules against "hateful content". From August to October 2023, Mr Signha posted multiple times using similar terminology for First Nations people. In one post he claimed: "Everybody needs to wake up to the sleeping lazybags (the Alboriginals)." Vivek Singha's posts date back to 2023, in the lead up to the Voice referendum. ( Supplied: Vivek Singha ) In October 2023, an anti-Voice post from the account also appeared to take aim at Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, after it was reported her daughter had experienced domestic violence at the hands of a former partner. It read: "Worst of it all, why are YOU @tanya_plibersek of all people standing for others when you couldn't even look after your own daughters (sic) safety… Anyword (sic) coming out of this person is as good as a puff frm the backside!!! cannot keep my home safe give me a blank cheque for a****". More than a week later, excerpts from media reports about Minister Plibersek's husband were shared on the account with the comment: "Wow it is a great team (NOT) that is now leading the nation!!! That's why her daughter was bashed." Mr Singha also took aim at Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. ( X: Vivek Singha ) Ms Plibersek is married to prominent NSW public servant Michael Coutts-Trotter, who has spoken openly about his conviction for heroin importation and drug addiction in the 1980s. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Social media account made inactive The X account became inactive on Sunday afternoon after the ABC contacted a Liberal Party spokesperson for comment. Mr Singha said in a statement to the ABC: "I apologise for the social media posts, I should not have expressed myself in that way and I sincerely regret doing so." Mr Singha is not expected to claim the seat of Fowler, which is seen as a contest between independent MP Dai Le and Labor candidate Tu Le. Labor lost the seat in 2022 after attempting to parachute former senator Kristina Keneally into the multicultural electorate. Photo shows A graphic showing a range of reader comments about potential issues in Australia's 2025 federal election. What do you need to know before you vote in the upcoming federal election? What would you ask the candidates? Have Your Say. But the emergence of the posts will raise questions over the vetting of NSW Liberal candidates. Earlier this month, The "Their hips are being destroyed because they can't cope with the carrying of the heavy loads," he said. The NSW Liberals said Mr Britton's views were "inconsistent with the party's position. Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
