Russian official promotes fly-larvae "alternative meats" to fight sanctions

A senior Russian official has suggested that residents of his country may need to chow down on meat alternatives such as fly larvae and vegetable protein, as the country feels the pinch of sanctions over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who is also minister of industry and trade, told onlookers at the Innofood exhibition in Sochi that he would “continue to experiment” with alternative meats.

Referencing a vegetable protein by the brand Efko, he said the final product was “very difficult to distinguish from natural meat.”

“To be honest, I couldn’t tell the difference,” he insisted.

While Russia is not currently experiencing food shortages, a report from the Council of the European Union on Aug. 19 estimated that the country’s GDP will drop by more than 11% in 2022, while inflation soars to 22%.