Mealworms for food and feed: are they only yellow?

Abstract

Among edible insects, mealworms have attracted a lot of scientific and commercial attention as a nutrient source in food and feed during the last decade. However, the main focus has been on the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, which undisputedly possesses numerous advantages that render it ideal for mass production. Apart from the yellow mealworm though, other mealworm species have great potential for food and feed applications. The lesser mealworm and the superworm are two species that, although less studied, show promise and could gain their share of the edible insect market in the near future. The present publication aims to put the main edible mealworm species under the spotlight and give a brief overview of their potential as food and feed source.