IPB Students Creates Snack ‘JunkKrips’ with Crickets as Main Ingredient

Cricket (Gryllidae) is an insect that is a close relative to grasshoppers. Possessing a flat body and long antennae, crickets are omnivores. Crickets are known for its sound which is only produced by male crickets. This sound is used to attract females and to push away other males. This sound gets louder as temperature increases. Crickets are used to feed birds or other pets.

Crickets have other nutritional benefits with its rich nutritious contents. The important nutritional contents of crickets are protein, essential fatty acid, vitamin, and mineral. Fresh crickets contain protein as much as 40%, but after processed into dried or grilled crickets, the protein content increases to 64%. Besides protein, crickets also contain chitosan which is also contained by prawns and can fulfil 15-25% of vitamin A need. Most Indonesians haven't utilized this benefit.

Five students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), who are Uswatun Khasanah, Muhamad Suhendra, Andini Siwi Pratama, Triyana Nur Rizki and Iza Fitria Husna created snack 'JunkKrips' which is rich in protein, and uses crickets as the main ingredient. JunkKrips is a unique innovation and has a delicious taste and crispy texture, as well as high nutritional content which is good for the body.

Under the supervision of M Sriduresta Soernarno, SPt MSc as the advisor, Uswatun and team keeps innovating by creating various side products of JunkKrips, which are StickKrips and BasKrips, These 2 variants have unique and different taste and textures. Consumers can also choose the flavor between barbeque, roasted corn, spicy, original, and balado.

In short time Uswatun and team will release a new variant of JunkKrips after Baskrips and StickKrips. The new product will be named Choco JunkCho, which will still use crickets as its main ingredient. Wait for its release! (Ard)