We’re all about sustainability
Eating crickets might sound unconventional, but we think crickets are one of the smartest protein sources out there. By creating delicious and organic cricket-based products, we want to contribute to a more sustainable society: one where treating yourself also means doing goood for the planet and for your health.
We're now a Certified
B Corporation!
But what does it actually mean?
We'll give you a quick heads-up. It's as simple as A - B - C…
B Corp is a business certification where B stands for Benefit. Because we’ve got a lot of benefits to share to everyone involved in our mission!
B corporations believe that business should work for more than just themselves and their shareholders - it should work for everyone. Actually, B Corp is the only business certification in the world that measures a company's entire social and environmental performance in a holistic way. Certified companies are legally required to meet “the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose”. Simply put, B Corps use their business as a force for good. Instead of just avoiding to do bad stuff, B Corps are constantly looking for ways to do good… and better.
Harness the power of business to create a better world
That's what it's all about. Because businesses, together with governments and non-profits, can contribute shaping a better world. Together we are able to change the way the world works, in any way you can imagine. The B Corp certification allows businesses and consumers to draw a line in the sand, identifying which environmental and social standards businesses should be aiming for in order to have a positive impact on the world around them. The B Corp movement is growing fast. Currently, there are around 6.100 B Corps worldwide. And guess what, KRIKET is now one of them. Woohoo!
Because we believe that being a better business should be the norm, not the exception. KRIKET is first and foremost a changemaker. We want to make our food system more sustainable by mainstreaming insect-based food. And second, we're selling healthy snacks & breakfast to reach this mission. It's how we've always done business. It's in our DNA. And now we have the stamp to prove it.
We strive to bring this message to as much people as possible. This means we continuously try to educate our community about the benefits of this alternative source of protein and healthy food in general, on your body and the planet. We genuinely care about our customers and want to be thought leaders in making insect-based food the new normal. Apart from that, this mission is incorporated in every step of our decision making process, day to day. From working with local suppliers and choosing sustainable packaging, to our long-term company goals and our internal ethical guidelines.
What's next for KRIKET?
Onwards and upwards! We're far from perfect and have a lot of things to improve on still. Perfect is the enemy of progress, so we commit to keep on progressing in the coming years, in everything we do. Being a B Corp is never a given. Every 3 year we’ll go through a recertification process to verify if we live up to our own standards, and to see how we can create more benefits for our stakeholders.
Ready to join our B Corp journey? Hop along!
Nutrition and the Nutri-Score label
What is the Nutri-Score?
The Nutri-Score is a nutrition label that converts the nutritional value of products into a simple code consisting of 5 letters, each with its own colour. Consumers can see at a glance how balanced or unbalanced a food product is - especially in the case of processed products. Nutri-Score enables consumers to make better and healthier choices, and is at the same time pushing the food industry to create healthier products. The system is recommended by the European Commission and the World Health Organisation.
How do we apply the Nutri-Score?
At KRIKET we use the Nutri-Score label as a compass to guide our decisions when it comes to developing healthy products. Our goal? Creating tasty products that are not only goood for the planet, but also for your body and soul. Everything starts with the cricket powder, which is packed with protein, fibre and vitamins. Want to learn more about the nutritional advantages? Click here! We mix it up with wholesome and nourishing ingredients. The result: balanced and yummy products with Nutri-Score A or B, designed to boost your day.
What about C, D and E?
The Nutri-Score is calculated per 100g or 100ml to ease comparison between products. However, you don’t always eat 100g of a product. The aim of the Nutri-Score is not that you stop eating products with score D or E, because also these products can be healthy. It just means our bodies don’t need it in that high quantities. Think about nuts, for example, which have a high amount of healthy fats. Or our range of Crunchy Crickets, which have Nutri-Score D yet contain 55% of the purest and most complete protein and are a real nutritional superbomb.
The bottom line? These products are meant to complete your meal or serve as a healthy snack and are part of a balanced diet in general.
More in-depth information on the Nutri-Score can be found on the official website of the Department of Health of the Belgian government.
There’s a lot of talk about packaging these days – and that’s awesome! We should reduce the amount of waste we produce, reuse items as much as we can and recycle wherever possible. However, when it comes to packaging, the most sustainable solution from an environmental point of view is not always what you might think it would be. And so, unfortunately, a lot of greenwashing happens.
As a small company with sustainability at the core of our mission, we try to do the very best we can and strive for continuous improvement. Our choices are based on the latest innovations in the packaging industry, and we’re happy to be 100% transparent about them.
This is how we go about it
– Food safety and food quality are top priorities. We only use packaging solutions that guarantee optimal protection of our product, from our production site to the moment you open the packaging.
– We like to base our choices on life cycle analyses to know which packaging solution has the lowest GHG emission.
– We came to the conclusion that, for now, the best fit for KRIKET is locally sourced monomer polypropylene pouches. This solution ensures high food quality, uses less plastic compared to conventional plastic pouches, consists of one single material and is fully recyclable.
– End of life instructions are prominently featured on the design allowing the user the easily identify the type of material and put it where it belongs.
– We strive for a holistic approach: system thinking according to the principles of the circular economy.
– Whenever we can, we offer the option to buy our products in bulk in order to reduce the amount of packaging used.
– We acknowledge there is no 'one size fits all’-solution and remain up-to-date to continuously improve our packaging solutions.
Upcycling side streams with ValuSect
We believe crickets could play a crucial role in a circular food economy. That’s why we signed up for a subsidy offered by the European Commission to set up a pilot research project on growing crickets on side streams from the retail or food industry. And guess what? We got elected!
Now, it’s time to get to work. During our research with Thomas More Hogeschool and Inagro, we’ll test which types of food from the side streams crickets like the most, to maintain optimal living conditions for their lifetime. By upcycling these side streams, we’ll not only reduce food waste but also produce alternative, complete proteins of the highest quality at the same time. That’s what circular economy looks like in practice.
Keep an eye on our blog and socials to stay updated on our research!
Consumer behaviour
Why do we eat what we eat? Why are weird-looking water creatures like oysters and lobsters considered an absolute delicacy? And why do we love moules frites so much over here in Belgium?
The truth about what we eat is all about taste and perception. About being curious. Today, 75 percent of the world's food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species, while there’s so much more to discover. Remember the last time you’ve eaten something you’ve never tried before? Challenge yourself and celebrate the diversity of our edible landscape.
At KRIKET, that’s exactly what we’re going for. Insects have been a part of culinary traditions in Africa, Asia and Latin America for centuries. With over 2 000 edible species (and counting) registered, we think insects represent a huge reservoir of untapped culinary innovation.
That’s why we’re partnering up with HoGent to set up an ‘Insect barometer’. We’ll start measuring how many Belgians have already tried insects. And, if they have, how they liked it. If they didn't, why not? Keep an eye on this page and make sure to follow our socials to get the latest news.
