barking mad header Bug Appétit: From Ick to Innovation on Insect-Based Pet Food
Back to Podcast

Bug Appétit: From Ick to Innovation on Insect-Based Pet Food


August 6, 2025

Bugs: your dog’s been eating them anyway—why not make it official? In this episode of Barking Mad, Jordan and Dr. Steph dig deep into the world of insect-based pet nutrition—from black soldier fly larvae to crickets to mealworms. You’ll hear from scientists, brand leaders, and strategists about the surprising nutritional benefits, sustainability wins, and cultural hurdles of feeding bugs to our pets. Whether you’re intrigued or totally grossed out, this episode will challenge what you thought you knew about both “ick” and innovation.

Episode Description

Bugs: your dog’s been eating them anyway—why not make it official? In this episode of Barking Mad, Jordan and Dr. Steph dig deep into the world of insect-based pet nutrition—from black soldier fly larvae to crickets to mealworms. You’ll hear from scientists, brand leaders, and strategists about the surprising nutritional benefits, sustainability wins, and cultural hurdles of feeding bugs to our pets. Whether you’re intrigued or totally grossed out, this episode will challenge what you thought you knew about both “ick” and innovation.

Helpful Links

🦗 Learn more about the companies and brands featured in today’s episode:


🔬 Check out Protix’s cutting-edge research on the nutritional benefits of black soldier fly-based dog and cat food: https://protix.com/discovery-centre

🦐 The surprising similarity of bugs and crustaceans:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/you-might-think-of-shrimp-as-bugs-of-the-sea-but-a-remarkable-discovery-shows-the-opposite-bugs-are-actually-shrimp-of-the-land-180986303/

🤔 Did you know there are already bugs in your food? Read more here: https://bsmpartners.net/insights/creepy-crawly-cuisine-when-banning-synthetics-comes-with-tradeoffs/

🌱 Tune in to our previous sustainability episodes


Link Copied!