I gotta comment on the lead and chapulines connection since I'm the epidemiologist behind the alerts in Calif and am investigating the lead contamination in chapulines and other foods imported from Oaxaca. I want to find out what the source is so everyone can go back to eating this nutritious snack food!

re the extent of the problem- not clear, many chapulin samples have high lead, others none, and there is no sure fire way to tell which do and dont. We found severe lead poisoning in Bay Area residents who ate chapulines and other imported foods from some parts of Oaxaca, and none in others with the same tastes.

There is likely both a cooking method used in some regions that is releasing lots of lead into the foods (and not just chapulines) and also contamination from areas where chapulines are harvested. We're studying that with residents in Oaxaca. I wont get preachy about lead, but please dont eat these foods if you are pregnant or let young kids eat them - developing brains are most at risk....

links to the investigation below:

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/short/AJPH.2005.074138v1
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/con...