If you can't imagine chowing down on crickets, or munching on maggots, chances are you're not alone.
But University of Queensland researchers are investigating the use of insect proteins in a range of specialty foods in a bid to keep up with a burgeoning global population's food needs.
Meat scientist Louwrens Hoffman said the world won't be able to produce enough meat protein from conventional livestock industries, so alternatives will be needed in future and he believes that insect protein is a viable option.
The research is focused around two options- insect protein as a food source for humans, or as a dietary protein source during livestock production.
One area of research involves feeding larvae on human waste, abbattoir waste or vegetable waste as a way of turning those products into protein.
"It's not replacing 100 per cent of the meat, but some of the meat," Professor Hoffman said.
Researchers are working to address food safety issues involved in the process, particularly the bioaccumulation of contaminants such as mercury and lead in insects.
European Union restrictions prohibiting insects being fed on manure or abattoir waste are another obstacle.
Another focus area for Professor Hoffman, through the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, is the use of black soldier fly maggots as chicken feed.
Professor Hoffman started the research in South Africa, collaborating with Italian researchers. They found broiler diets can be up to 15 per cent larvae meal without affecting the chicken's production performance, with no impacts on flavour or tenderness.
Professor Hoffman said they also compared how salmonella affected two groups of chickens, one fed fly larvae and the other fed a typical diet with antibiotics.
"The chickens that had been fed larvae actually had a lower rate of mortality than the ones that had the antibiotics," he said.
A public perception problem
Western consumers are still more reluctant to eat insect proteins than those from countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Mexico that have used them as food source.
But reluctance around alternative proteins could be reducing as the younger generation becomes more globally focused, Professor Hoffman said some of the stigma around insect-based protein was disappearing.
"If you go to Thailand or China, you're more likely to try some alternative proteins," he said.
"Particularly with the younger generation, they want the experience.
"They are going to be the new market that is going to want to try these things.
"We also have a youth now that feel very strongly that they want to make a change to more sustainable food sources."
Professor Hoffman said studies have shown even Western consumers who are willing to try insects in a dish are reluctant to cook insect-based meals at home, unless the insects are processed and disguised.
"I don't see us bringing out a 100pc larvae meat patty , but we might have a beef patty that contains 15pc larvae content," he said.
Room for roo on menus
Professor Hoffman said kangaroo meat is also being underutilised and that it has huge potential as a lean meat that's high in iron.
"I think in my mind we're wasting a valuable source of protein," he said.
"We can also start looking at provenance in kangaroo meat.
"We have different species of kangaroo, yet they are all labelled the same way.
"We know from different beef products what a difference that different breeds can make.
"If we can differentiate our kangaroo meats, then harvesters might be able to get a premium for some products."
Professor Hoffman said the normalisation of kangaroo meat would play a big part in its adoption.
"If you have friends who go hunting, it's more acceptable in your mind to eat game meats and that's one of the questions created by urbanisation, how that will affect the proteins people choose to eat," he said.
"If you can get the restaurants as the first stop, that will help.
"If people have eaten kangaroo meat at a restaurant three or four times, they're more likely to try cooking it themselves."