Edible Insects

Abstract

In the tropics more than 2000 insect species are eaten. Most are only seasonally available, and the local population uses a number of techniques to harvest them. In the western world, insects are not known as food. However, alternative protein sources are needed as the agricultural land available in the world is not enough to satisfy the growing demand of meat. Among those sources are algae, mycoproteins, cultured meat, plant proteins, and insects. The nutritional value of insects is comparable to meat products. The environmental impact from rearing insects is much less than livestock production: insects emit less greenhouse gases and need much less land and water. When insects are promoted as food, harvesting more from nature is not an option and they need to be farmed as mini-livestock. The interest in the western world to use insects as food is growing. This is exemplified by the exponential growth of the number of publications as well as the number of start-up companies. Major hurdles in western countries are the creation of a legislative framework, automation to reduce the cost price, and the development of strategies to convince consumers. Consumer strategies are: an affordable price, developing tasty products, incorporating insect ingredients in familiar products and to give consumer a taste experience. Producing insects as food may become a new agricultural sector.