2019's eco-friendly food trends

A recent report by Reuters says foods that don't contribute to the world's carbon emissions or agriculture's environmental footprint have been welcomed by the world's eaters this year. Plant-based burgers, cockroach milk, silkworm ice cream, and beer made from recycled water are just some of the more environmentally-sustainable food products that have found their way onto restaurant menus and supermarket shelves this year.

A combination photo shows a cockroach eating biscuits, vanilla ice-cream, a man making a cocktail, and a vegetarian burger. [File Photo: VCG/China Plus]

The report says vegetarian burgers have gone mainstream, and a growing number of fish substitutes are entering the market. And cannabidiol-infused foods and drinks are becoming more popular in the United States, after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp production.

Eco-friendly drinks, including beers brewed using recycled water, cocktails that incorporate food scraps, and wines produced with organic grapes and no chemical additives, have also gained major followings in cities across North America and Europe, says the Reuters' report.