Edible insects as an alternative protein source in human and animal nutrition

Abstract

Entomophagy has received widespread attention in both developed and underdeveloped nations. However, the exponential increase in demand for the few available conventional food and feed ingredients that are limitedin supply and production has spurred the interest of food scientists and researchers to scale up their efforts to attain a more sustainable food ecosystem. This review, however, focuses on the current state of knowledge and the prowess of entomophagy to provide global faunas (micro and macro) with more extensive food and feed options. Edible insects potentially satisfy human dietary protein demands compared with other protein sources such as beef, chicken and pork. Unlike other animal-based proteins, edible insects contain higher protein levels, reaching 30% to 85% on a dry matter basis, and can quickly transform low-quality organic waste into edible protein. More so, studies have shown that replacing fishmeal with insect meal is a suitable alternative protein source for farm animals. Insect farming refers to the practice of raising and breeding insects as mini-livestock for the purpose of producing food or feed products that can be consumed directly by humans or animals. Insect farming is environmentally friendly due to its low ecological impact and the minimal need for arable land and water resources compared to other livestock species using about 80% of available agricultural land worldwide. When globally accepted, entomophagy and commercial insect farming have the potential to ease the hunger threat for the predicted world population, expected to be between 9.4 to 10.1 billion people in 2050.