Leah Bessa has been named as one of the 50 Next Class of 2021 Science Innovators in the Culinary realm for her innovative “dairy” alternative.
South Africa (28 September 2021) – South African food science innovator Leah Bessa has been selected as one of the world’s 50 Next culinary minds to watch. Her innovative “dairy” alternative is the talk of the town!
Leah has worked hard to advocate insects as the food of the future. She studied Food Science at Stellenbosch University and, during that time, worked with insects in the Animal Science department. The next phase of her food science journey may make some squeamish, but Leah innovated how to use sustainably farmed black soldier fly to create an insect-based liquid called Entomilk.
Leah launched Gourmet Grubb, an ice cream company using the Entomilk as the base of ice cream. Her next dream is to make hard cheeses. Entomilk is more water- and energy-efficient to produce than dairy or dairy alternatives, and the product is high in good fats and comparable in protein to red meat.
As you can imagine, the biggest challenge Leah is facing is the public perception of insects. She hopes that through partnering with pop-ups like The Insect Experience, people warm to the idea of insects as food.
“I’d like to find viable products for the entire insect production system to create a true circular economy.” – Leah Bessa
This innovative thinking has earned Leah a spot as one of the 50 Next Class of 2021.
50 Next is a list to introduce the 50 brightest, young humans who are changing the world of gastronomy in unique and exciting ways. The list celebrates everyone from activists to app creators. The organisation wants to point out that this is not a competition, and there is no hierarchy; it is merely a list of people to watch.
“Instead of a ranking, 50 Next is divided into seven industry-led categories: Gamechanging Producers; Tech Disruptors; Empowering Educators; Entrepreneurial Creatives; Science Innovators; Hospitality Pioneers and Trailblazing Activists. Each category is unranked and spans a wide range of different job types. These categories aim to show the diverse range of people on the list.”
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