Edible insects – history, characteristics, benefits, risks and future prospects for use

Eva Ivanišová; Michal Mihaľ; Adriana Kolesárová

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2022.v27.008

Eva Ivanišová Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5193-2957
Michal Mihaľ Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8039-6310
Adriana Kolesárová Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1272-9099

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52756/ijerr.2022.v27.008

Keywords: Entomophagy, nutritional benefits, perspective, risks, technology

Abstract

The growing global food crisis and the changing climatic and agro-ecological conditions on the planet are predominant, serious, and growing issues that require Global attention. Insecurity caused by the lack of food can have devastating effects on health, with malnutrition being considered a major cause of infant mortality. In addition, malnutrition at an early age has been linked to problems later, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Insecurity caused by the lack of food contributes to lowering immune function and altering the intestinal microbiome. By 2030, the annual economic cost of mortality and noncommunicable illnesses is anticipated to exceed $1.3 trillion. Edible insects are employed in gastronomy and the food industry in many Asian, Oceanian, African, and Latin American countries. Due to cultural preconceptions and disinformation regarding its detrimental characteristics and effects on the human body, Western societies perceive it as animal feed rather than human food. Academic, industrial, and government forces are constantly trying to reduce negative insect perceptions by raising public awareness of the need to find alternative food sources, developing new insect processing methods, and highlighting the health benefits of insect consumption. Insect consumption, also known as entomophagy, has been reported for a long time. It is estimated that roughly 2 billion individuals ingest insects regularly worldwide. There are about 2,000 edible bug species in the literature, the majority of which come from tropical nations. The most regularly ingested insects are beetles, bees, wasps, ants, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, cicadas, termites, dragonflies, and flies. This review covers current insect trends as a prospective food source (alternative food source), describes the benefits and risks associated with their ingestion, and highlights the numerous areas where they could be used.

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