Edible insects are the answer to growing food and climate crises, according to international researchers and insect producers, as they are a source of essential nutrients with a minimal footprint. France-based Ÿnsect sees a growing acceptance and awareness of insects as food companies are finding new ways to incorporate them into food.

Researchers published a review of over 130 articles on edible insects, highlighting that the production of insects generates significantly less greenhouse gas emissions and uses less water and land than conventional animal farming. 

Moreover, edible insects provide many ecosystem services, such as pollination, environmental health monitoring and decomposing organic waste materials. 

“There is an increasing recognition of insects’ environmental benefits and nutritional value as a food source. As consumers become more aware of sustainability and seek alternative protein sources, the demand for insect-based products is likely to rise,” Antoine Hubert, president and CEO of Ÿnsect, tells Food Ingredients First.

“The market is witnessing a rise in insect-based food products, ranging from whole insects to processed ingredients like insect protein powder, insect oil and insect-based flours.”

He adds that as consumers become more conscious of the environmental impact of their food choices, the sustainability aspect of insect-based ingredients is likely to drive market growth.Insects contain high levels of protein and lipids, plus vitamins and minerals.

Sustainable protein
The review indicates insects mainly consist of protein, followed by lipids. Protein ranges between 35.3% and 61.3% of dry matter for termites species and crickets, grasshoppers and locusts. Lipid content varies from 13.41% to 33.40% – mainly in beetles, termites and fly larvae. 

“In 2011, when Ÿnsect was founded, we chose the mealworm, and more specifically the Molitor, because of its high nutritional content: 72% protein, making it a highly digestible, top-of-the-range food. They contain high-quality protein, vitamins and essential amino acids and help meet our nutritional needs,” explains Hubert. 

The company offers a range of insect-based ingredients in AdalbaPro that offers protein enrichment. In a study on mice, the product reduced cholesterol by up to 60%. 

The authors warn it is difficult to determine the nutritional profile of insects as there are vast differences across species, countries, insect feed composition, rearing mode and developmental stage of insects. 

Biological activities of common insects have been investigated, although the researchers note most research has been on their ability to act as antioxidants in cell models. 

For example, termites were found to have antibacterial and antifungal activities. At the same time, flour from mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) affected the growth of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium by improving the production and viability of short-chain fatty acids.

Minimal environmental footprint
Insects are commonly hailed for their environmental benefits, such as their limited contribution to greenhouse gasses and minimal ecological footprint. Insects require lower land and water than livestock farming and have a smaller feed conversion ratio than cattle. 

“Mealworm farming is considerably more environmentally friendly than traditional animal protein sources,” emphasizes Hubert. “Unlike traditional animal feed, insect production uses 25% less water while using 30x less land and emitting 40 times fewer carbon emissions than traditional livestock.” Ÿnsect aims to build a dozen vertical farms worldwide by 2030 (Image credit: Ÿnsect). 

“With vertical farming using less land, production centers can be located in or near urban areas, making the supply chain less vulnerable to trade blockages.”

Ÿnsect aims to build a dozen vertical farms worldwide by 2030. 

The report, published in nclick="updateothersitehits('Articlepage','External','OtherSitelink','Ÿnsect highlights growing demand for insects as “sustainable, healthy and natural” source of protein','Ÿnsect highlights growing demand for insects as “sustainable, healthy and natural” source of protein','335103','https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1113219/full?utm_source=F-NTF&utm_medium=EMLX&utm_campaign=PRD_FEOPS_20170000_ARTICLE', 'article','Ÿnsect highlights growing demand for insects as “sustainable, healthy and natural” source of protein');return no_reload();">Frontiers in Nutrition, adds that house crickets are known to be about four times more efficient feed converters than pigs and over 12 times better than cattle. As almost all of the insect body is consumed, compared to less than 50% for cattle, insect farming results in lower food waste. 

The researchers add that insects also provide ecosystem services, such as pollination in agriculture and decomposing organic agricultural and culinary waste into biomass and frass. Using food waste to feed insects could help close the gap in the food value chain. 

“Food neophobia” in eating insects
A report by the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed has predicted the insect protein market to be worth up to US$8 billion by 2030. 

However, the review authors see that consumption is still unusual in most Western populations, even though around 2.5 billion people worldwide rely on insects as a supplementary food source. 

“In the Western world, a certain level of ‘food neophobia’ is associated with eating insects. Europeans will not transform their eating habits overnight,” adds Hubert. 

“However, up to half of Brits are ready to incorporate insects into their diet and up to 71% of Americans are ready to incorporate insects into their diet according to our recent study by OnePoll.” 

Hubert shares that the onePoll study revealed that 96% of people who have already tasted insect-based products say they liked them or would repeat the experience. 

“For human nutrition, a growing market, our ingredients are mainly available through sports nutrition brands in the form of protein bars and whey, but also in the form of meat substitutes – burgers, meatballs.”Hubert sees a rise in insect-based food products, including whole insects, protein powder, insect oil and insect-based flours.

Progress in regulations
Legislation limits market development for edible insects, such as Novel Food legislation in the EU. 

At the same time, Hubert notes: “Many countries are making progress regarding regulations and standards for insect-based food products. As governments establish clearer guidelines and regulations, it becomes easier for businesses to enter the market and scale up their operations.”

Currently, four insect species have reached Novel Food authorization, larvae of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm), dried and frozen Locusta migratoria (migratory locust), dried, ground, frozen and partially defatted powder of Acheta domesticus (house cricket) and larvae of Alphitobius diaperionus (lesser mealworm). 

The European Food Safety Authority recently issued a positive opinion on the safety and nutritional value of UV-treated yellow mealworm powder (Tenebrio molitor) after French company Nutri’Earth submitted a novel food application in 2019.

Farming challenges
Though insect farming offers various benefits, researchers warn that edible insects can transmit diseases or pathogens. Though insects for human consumption are commonly heated before consumption – by boiling, drying, roasting or frying – pathogen contamination is a risk when insects are used in feed or its residues for soil enrichment. 

For example, they refer to a study wher researchers identified phytopathogenic fungi in the leaves of lettuce grown in soil exposed to frass, a by-product of insect breeding. Also, migratory locusts – consumed in parts of Africa and Asia – are hosts of parasites that cause severe losses to bee colonies worldwide. 

Over-exploitation of wild-harvested insects contributes to species’ decline, caution the authors. They note this problem can be curbed by “laying rules to control their consumption and, more importantly, by educating people on the need to move from wild harvesting to farming and semi-domesticating wild species.” 

The researchers also highlight that breeding insect pests of crops – such as termites, locusts and grasshoppers – requires appropriate procedures to avoid possible introduction outside the farming facility.