Insects as food and feed: a promising agricultural sector with special reference to India

Abstract

Edible insects are natural resources that provide foodstuff to numerous ethnic groups in rural India. In spite of the dietary and ecological repayment, the consumption of insects is still restricted to a limited number of countries globally. Apart from the establishment of consumer acceptance, research is necessary to develop sophisticated and automatise cost-effective production of insect products. Insects have massive prospects as feed. As the protein feed ingredients are becoming expensive, several studies are in progress to establish insects as feed in the Indian market. Insect food and feed industry could be a proficient approach to consign the cost of living for the price-sensitive customers. Cross-linking between the industries and the farmers would be helpful for boosting the production rate of insect products. Extensive and systematic study of the edible insects would be desirable to ascertain food security and elude possible risks.