Insects as Human Food: An Overview

Abstract

Although insects and the products elaborated and/or eliminated by them are used as food source by three thousand traditional societies in over 120 countries, current attitudes of repugnance regarding the consumption of edible insects cause that a considerable amount of animal protein becomes unavailable to those individuals who suffer from protein deficiencies. Considering the nutritional qualities that insects have, they should be considered as renewable resources available for sustainable exploitation aiming at reducing the problem of malnutrition and hunger in many parts of the world.Keywords: Entomophagy, food safety, renewable resources, culture, insects. INSETOS COMO ALIMENTO HUMANO: UMA REVISÃO GERAL ResumoEmbora os insetos e os produtos elaborados e/ou eliminados por eles sejam usados como fonte de alimento por três mil grupos étnicos em mais de 120 países, as atitudes comuns de repugnância direcionadas ao consumo de insetos comestíveis levam a que uma quantidade considerável de proteína animal fique indisponível para aqueles indivíduos que sofrem de deficiências proteicas. Observando as qualidades nutricionais que os insetos possuem, eles deveriam ser considerados como recursos renováveis disponíveis para exploração sustentável, assim diminuindo o problema de desnutrição e fome em muitas partes do mundo.Palavras-chave: Entomofagia, segurança alimentar, recursos renováveis, cultura, insetos. 562-582, 2013Costa Neto, E. M. 565 INSECTOS COMO ALIMENTO HUMANO: UNA VISIÓN GENERAL ResumenAunque los insectos y los productos elaborados y/o eliminados por ellos sean utilizados como fuente de alimento por tres mil grupos étnicos en más de 120 países, las actitudes comunes de repugnancia hacía al consumo de insectos comestibles provoca que una cantidad considerable de proteína animal esté indisponible para aquellos individuos que sufren de deficiencias proteicas. Observándose las cualidades nutricionales que los insectos poseen, se debería considerarlos como recursos renovables disponibles para exploración sostenida, así disminuyendo el problema de mala nutrición y el hambre en muchas partes del mundo.Palabras-clave: Entomofagia, seguridad alimentaria, recursos renovables, cultura, insectos.Endereço do autor para correspondência:

Why we still don't eat insects: Assessing entomophagy promotion through a diffusion of innovations framework

“…Certainly eating insects provides no status benefit: even in countries where entomophagy exists, such as Mexico, only the rural, indigenous persons consume insects regularly (de Conconi, 1982). The more wealthy and urban populace looks down on insects as food for the poor or primitive (Costa-Neto, 2013;RamosElorduy, 1998). Worldwide, indigenous persons themselves are increasingly abandoning traditional foods for a Western diet of prepackaged foods, even though it is both ecologically and nutritionally disadvantageous, because it is seen as socially superior (Menzel & D'Aluisio, 1998;Meyer-Rochow & Chakravorty, 2013).…”

“…Amateur collection of wild insects poses risks as people may collect toxic species or those exposed to insecticides (Costa-Neto, 2013;Gahukar, 2011;Yen, 2009b). If bee brood consumption becomes popular in the West, theft of honeybee combs could occur, exacerbating problems caused by colony collapse disorder.…”

“…The question of how to encourage Westerners (referring here as in most of the works cited as Europeans and non-Aboriginal Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders) to eat insects [plus some arachnids like scorpions] is a perennial topic of discussion for entomologists and anthropologists alike (DeFoliart, 1999). The discussion is motivated primarily by their high conversion efficiency (ratio of feed consumed to edible product produced), theoretically translating into reduced CO 2 output and reduced water needs per gram of protein relative even to plants (Costa-Neto, 2013;Soares & Forkes, 2014). The message is straightforward: "Eat Insects … Save the Planet" (Martin, 2014).…”

Review of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as Animal Feed and Human Food

“…Their greatest advantage over other animal meats, which underlies their frequent championing as saviors in a food-insecure world, is their lower environmental impact. Insects have a lower feed-to-protein conversion ratio than cattle or swine [ 32 ] and even poultry according to some sources [ 31 ], and produce fewer greenhouse gases and lower ammonia emissions than any conventional livestock [ 31 , 33 , 34 ]. Industrial-scale insect farms need less water and land space than pasture [ 35 ], can have a lower water footprint per gram of protein than any conventional livestock or even milk and eggs [ 36 , 37 ], and some insect species can even consume organic waste and side-streams [ 29 , 31 ].…”

A Chemically Safe Way to Produce Insect Biomass for Possible Application in Feed and Food Production

“…In light of the predicted increase in the world population by 2050 and the growing demand for high-quality protein sources for food and feed production, insect culture deserves special attention [1][2][3]. In fact, insects show a high protein and fat content, they can grow on organic by-products, their rearing is characterized by low environmental impact [4][5][6] as they produce low greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions [1,7,8], and they show low water and space requirements [5]. Among other insects, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI Diptera, Stratiomydae) has been proposed by the European Food Safety Authority Scientific Committee [9] as one of the species with the greatest potential as food and feed ingredient in the European Union (EU).…”