Insects as food, also known as edible insects, are insect species that are consumed whole or as a component of prepared foods such as burger patties, noodles, or snacks.

Global Food Projections

According to projections, the global population would reach 9 billion people by 2050, necessitating improved food/feed production from available agro-ecosystems, putting much more pressure on the atmosphere. Agriculture soil, water, timber, fishery, and biodiversity capital, as well as nutrients and non-renewable fuels, are all expected to be in short supply.

Humans benefit from the high-quality protein, iodine, and amino acids found in edible insects. Crickets, for example, use six times less feed than goats, four times less feed than sheep, and half as little feed as pigs and broiler chickens to yield the same amount of protein. Furthermore, they produce fewer greenhouse gases and ammonia than traditional animals. Chemical waste can be used to cultivate insects. Insects are therefore a possible source of protein for traditional protein production (mini-livestock), either specifically for human consumption or indirectly in recomposed foods (with harvested protein from insects); and as a protein source in feedstock mixtures.

FAO has been working on edible insect issues in several countries around the world since 2003.

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Edible Insects

The number of edible insect species eaten worldwide is estimated to be between 1,000 and 2,000. 235 butterflies and moths, 344 insects, 313 ants, bees, and wasps, 239 grasshoppers, crickets, and cockroaches, 39 termites, and 20 dragonflies, as well as cicadas, are among the animals. Because of variations in landscape, habitats, and temperature, which species are eaten vary by area.

Insects are more fat dense than other meat types. Crickets, for example, are a total protein source with a useful amount of protein similar to that present in soybeans but less than casein (found in foods such as cheese). They're high in dietary fiber, mainly unsaturated fat, and vitamins like vitamin B12, riboflavin, and vitamin A, as well as basic minerals.

Farm to Market

In specialized insect farms, edible insects are raised as livestock. In North America and Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, insects are created for human consumption under strict food laws and hygiene standards.

Insects have been manufactured into unrecognizable forms, such as powders or flour, to raise consumer demand in Western markets such as Europe and North America. Academics and large-scale insect food producers, including Entomofarms in Canada, Aspire Food Group in the United States, Protifarm and Protix in the Netherlands, and Bühler Group in Switzerland, concentrate on four insect species that are ideal for human consumption and industrialized mass production.

Related Article: EU: Mealworms Now Safe for Human Consumption

Support from the EU

Recently EU has given the green light to mass-produce mealworm-based products in the market.

Following a proposal by Agronutris, a French insect-for-food processing firm, scientists at the EU food protection agency are scheduled to approve yellow mealworms as a commodity suitable for supermarket shelves and kitchen pantries around the continent within months.

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