Insect industrialization and prospect in commerce: A case of China

Abstract

Insects are the largest biological group on the earth, characterized by high biodiversity, easy rearing, and large populations. The utilization of insects in China has a long history and some insect species have contributed to the formation of characteristic industries. Insect products, such as silk and honey, are already familiar to the public; however, many beneficial insects and their products are not well known to most people, for example, lac insect and lac, gall aphid and Chinese gallnut, and insect wax. A new industry featuring the utilization and industrialization of insects has been rising in China. Chemically, insect products are used as raw materials; agriculturally, insects are utilized to pollinate crops for better yield; natural enemy insects have been reared to control pests; insect protein may be used for human food or animal feed; medicinally, chemical compounds may be extracted from insects as active ingredients for pharmaceutical usage; and ornamental butterfly has been applied in travel sightseeing. Insects' new purpose and function will be exploited as they gain recognition for their resources. This paper reviews insect industrialization in China and discusses the prospect of insect commerce in the future.

Research Progress and Production Status of Edible Insects as Food in China

“…After cicada eggs hatch into nymphs, the branches with cicada nymphs are buried under the roots of the host plants for 18 months, and the cicada nymphs emerge from the soil and climb on tree trunks, from where they are collected, packaged, and transported to the restaurants for public consumption. At present, the annual sales revenue of golden cicadas in China exceeds RMB 100 million, equivalent to 15 million US dollars [26].…”

“…Moreover, many wasps are popular edible insects with high nutritional value and therapeutic efficacy (seen in Figure 1), attracting a lot of new young connoisseurs in recent years. Therefore, the artificial rearing of wasps as an edible insect food not only increases income sources for farmers but also helps in the biological control of pests in the areas of agriculture and forestry [26].…”

Development of feed material and its effect on the nutritional composition of Protaetia brevitarsis larvae

“…Insects can replace meat and fish as a source of protein, and contain abundant minerals, dietary fiber and good‐quality fats (Belghit et al 2019). Insect industrialization started as early as 4700 years ago in China (Chen et al 2022), but the modern development of insect industrialization started in 2013 when the FAO published a report on edible insects (Van Huis et al 2013). For last two decades in Korea, the insect industry grew fast, thanks to Korean governmental support (Kwon 2022).…”

Effects of Main Nutrient Sources on Improving Monascus Pigments and Saccharifying Power of Monascus purpureus in Submerged Fermentation

“…Hence, enhancement of HQ quality is an important strategy for the development of the HQ wine industry. Although HQ has been widely used in the wine-making industry, the availability of only a few varieties of HQ starters and low fermentability significantly limit its applications [9].…”