食用昆虫资源的研究与开发进展

从食用昆虫的历史、食用昆虫的营养价值、保健功能和食用昆虫的产业化等方面介绍了食用昆虫资源开发的研究进展.目前,食用昆虫研发方面仍存在食用昆虫的营养成分分析不够透彻、开发投资力度不够、人们对昆虫的营养保健功能认识不足等主要问题.针对上述问题本文提出了几条解决对策：对食用昆虫营养保健作用加大宣传力度,以药用昆虫产业带动食用昆虫产业发展,大力开发昆虫保健食品,建议政府部门加大对食用昆虫开发的投资力度.     

Mopane worm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Imbrasia belina</Emphasis>) and rural household food security in Limpopo province,South Africa

Rural households in South Africa are vulnerable to food and income adversity. As a result, they adopt a range of livelihoods strategies, including consumption and trade of woodland resources to improve their living standards. Mopane worms (caterpillars of the Emperor Moth Imbrasia belina) have been identified as important to rural livelihoods, as an alternative land-use option as well as in fulfilling an important food security function. Whilst mopane worms may contribute to food security, this safety-net function needs more critical and quantitative investigation. This study examined the relationship between mopane worm consumption and household’s food security in the Limpopo Province, South Africa using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Tobit regression model based on a household survey of 120 respondents. The result from HFIAS showed that about 52 % of the households were severely food insecure, while others were either mildly or moderately food insecure. Only 16 % of the households were food secure. The Tobit regression model estimates show that proxy variables (i.e. income from mopane worm trade and the frequency of mopane worm consumption) measuring the contribution of mopane worms to rural household food security are statistically significant factors influencing household food insecurity in the study area. Implications for policy are discussed.     

New protein sources and food legislation: the case of edible insects and EU law

Growing global food demand has generated a greater interest in the consumption of new and diversified protein sources. Novel foodstuffs represent a challenge for food law as they need proper safety assessments before obtaining market permission. The case of edible insects and European law is a good representation of this issue because a selection of food grade insect species may be available on the European market in the coming years. However, European legislation does not explicitly address edible insects. Consequently, this has left a grey area, allowing different interpretations of the legislation among Member States. The aim of this paper is to analyse the challenge of the safe management of edible insects in the context of the current legal framework. The current Novel Food legislation, as well as the forthcoming version of the legislation, will be analysed and discussed in relation to edible insects. Particular attention will be paid to the evolution of legislation and to the experiences of both EU and non-EU countries. In recent years, a number of different stakeholders have supported the legalization of edible insect consumption in Europe, but market permission is just the first step towards a new framework for a novel food in a regulatory context. Once admitted, edible insects require proper rules to assure consumers and stakeholders of their benefits and safety. This overview highlights the need to develop clearer legislation to govern the future production and consumption of new food in Europe, provide guarantees to producers, and achieve consumer protection.     

可食用昆虫资源的利用历史、现状及展望

可食用昆虫作为补充食品，为农村地区的人口提供了重要的营养、经济和生态价值。本文综述了可食用昆虫资源的研究进展，包括可食用昆虫资源的利用历史、在全球的种类与分布、东西方国家对此的态度倾向等，并根据目前的现状，就可食用昆虫食品的开发利用提出了一些合理化的建议。     

Nutritional composition and safety aspects of edible insects

Insects, a traditional food in many parts of the world, are highly nutritious and especially rich in proteins and thus represent a potential food and protein source. A compilation of 236 nutrient compositions in addition to amino acid spectra and fatty acid compositions as well as mineral and vitamin contents of various edible insects as derived from literature is given and the risks and benefits of entomophagy are discussed. Although the data were subject to a large variation, it could be concluded that many edible insects provide satisfactorily with energy and protein, meet amino acid requirements for humans, are high in MUFA and/or PUFA, and rich in several micronutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium, and zinc as well as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, biotin, and in some cases folic acid. Liabilities of entomophagy include the possible content of allergenic and toxic substances as well as antinutrients and the presence of pathogens. More data are required for a thorough assessment of the nutritional potential of edible insects and proper processing and decontamination methods have to be developed to ensure food safety.     

Minced meat-like products from mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus): microbial dynamics during production and storage

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the production process as well as the storage conditions (air, 60% CO₂/40% N₂) on the microbial counts and the bacterial community composition of a minced meat-like product from yellow mealworm larvae (YM) and from lesser mealworm larvae (LM). It was necessary to design a different production process for each larva type in order to obtain a minced meat-like product. Both production methods had an effect on the microbiota of the finished products, and that effect was extended during storage. Immediately after production, YM and LM showed aerobic counts between 1.4 and 2.3 log cfu/g and between 2.0 and 3.6 log cfu/g, respectively. The bacterial community composition differed between both products. The use of modified atmosphere during storage reduced bacterial growth compared to storage in air. In conclusion, the study points out that for the two insect types considered, it is possible to obtain a minced meat-like product with low microbial numbers and a potential shelf life that is attractive to retailers and consumers.Industrial relevanceThe consumption of traditional meat sources is under pressure due to its high environmental impact. Entomophagy (the consumption of insects by humans) can be one of the solutions to the globally increasing protein demand. However, in Western countries, some aversion for edible insects still exists. In those markets, people prefer the inclusion of insects in an invisible way into familiar food products. In order to stimulate the implementation of edible insects in the Western market, new insect-based products were developed that closely resemble a very popular meat product, being minced meat. Recent studies showed that fresh edible insects contain a high number of spoilage organisms and potential food pathogens. Therefore, monitoring the dynamics of the microbiota during preparation and storage of the new insect-based products is of utmost importance. We were able to produce end products with low microbial numbers that could be kept low during storage, especially by the use of modified atmosphere packaging.     

昆虫源食物的开发利用

昆虫是一种新型食物资源,该文从食用昆虫的历史、营养价值及其产业化开发等方面介绍食用昆虫资源开发的研究进展,并探讨了其在食品工业、饲料工业中的应用。结合近年国内研究进展,对昆虫的开发利用进行展望。     

The use of edible insect proteins in food: Challenges and issues related to their functional properties

Over the past decade, the potential of edible insects as a novel ingredient in high value-added products has been investigated to find alternatives to conventional protein sources that are expensive, over-exploited and harmful to the environment. This review assesses the state of insects as an alternative protein source from production to consumption. More specifically, this review details the conventional procedures related to the production of insect flours as well as insect-derived ingredients such as protein concentrates and isolates. As a source of alternative protein in food ingredient formulations, the available data on the functionalities of edible insect ingredients is also examined and compared to conventional animal- and plant-based protein sources. Finally, the major challenges facing entomophagy in the mainstream food industry are explored. This review highlights the fact that insect proteins can serve as functional ingredients in food preparation. However, additional comparative studies are required to assess the functionality of various insect proteins compared to conventional proteins, regardless of processing method. To be incorporated into large scale industries, more research is needed to optimize processing methods to obtain the best compromise between cost-effectiveness, functionality, tastiness and sustainability, while ensuring consumer safety.     

Ugly but tasty: A systematic review of possible human and animal health risks related to entomophagy

Background: According to many recent studies, the use of insects as food seems to be convenient, sustainable, economical and healthy. The objective of this study is to analyze the possible effects of insect consumption on human and animal health. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the PubMed, Scopus and CAB databases. Results: Of the 6026 items initially retrieved, 70 were eligible for inclusion; 40 studies analyzed the use of insects in human foods or drugs, while 30 analyzed the use of insects in animal feed. In humans, the most commonly analyzed risks are nutrient malabsorption, growth alteration, chemical and microbiological contamination and allergy risk. Studies of animals focus on growth alteration, nutrient malabsorption and hematic and qualitative meat alteration. Conclusion: In recent years, researchers have shifted their focus from the possible use of edible insects in animal feed to their use as possible nutrient sources for humans. The results suggest that, if properly treated and preserved, products derived from insects are safe and efficient sources of nutrients for animals. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible effects of prolonged insect consumption on human health.     

Nonthermal technologies affecting techno-functional properties of edible insect-derived proteins,lipids, and chitin: A literature review

To increase the acceptability of edible insects, different strategies have been suggested to dispel neophobia toward this novel food. Extracts of the main nutritional components of insects have been proposed as food ingredients. However, extraction methods can affect the techno-functional properties of insect extracts, especially when heat is applied. Therefore, nonthermal technologies have recently attracted the attention of researchers. Among nonthermal technologies, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound (US) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAPP) have been described and discussed in the current review considering their effect on techno-functional properties of proteins, lipids, and chitin in insect-derived products. HHP and PEF have demonstrated great potential to improve insect protein solubility, whereas the oil holding capacity (OHC) was positively affected by PEF. The water holding capacity (WHC) showed a different performance according to insect species (Gryllodes sigillatus, Acheta domesticus, or Tenebrio molitor) and treatment applied (e.g., HHP). Of note, greater foaming capacity of insect proteins was achieved by applying HHP and US. Regarding insect lipids US assisted extraction with ethanol:water (E:W) extraction, fats rich in unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., linoleic acid) were obtained, whereas, regarding insect chitin, further studies are necessary to clearly understand and improve its extractability.     

Postharvest processes of edible insects in Africa: A review of processing methods,and the implications for nutrition,safety and new products development

In many African cultures, insects are part of the diet of humans and domesticated animals. Compared to conventional food and feed sources, insects have been associated with a low ecological foot print because fewer natural resources are required for their production. To this end, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognized the role that edible insects can play in improving global food and nutrition security; processing technologies, as well as packaging and storage techniques that improve shelf-life were identified as being crucial. However, knowledge of these aspects in light of nutritional value, safety, and functionality is fragmentary and needs to be consolidated. This review attempts to contribute to this effort by evaluating the available evidence on postharvest processes for edible insects in Africa, with the aim of identifying areas that need research impetus. It further draws attention to potential postharvest technology options for overcoming hurdles associated with utilization of insects for food and feed. A greater research thrust is needed in processing and this can build on traditional knowledge. The focus should be to establish optimal techniques that improve presentation, quality and safety of products, and open possibilities to diversify use of edible insects for other benefits.     

Forest biomass waste as a potential innovative source for rearing edible insects for food and feed – A review

Worldwide, huge quantities of organic wastes are generated annually in the forest industry, but most of these wastes are discarded. Only a minor proportion is used, mainly for biofuel and secondarily for compost production. Simultaneously, demand for more and new food products is increasing due to rapid growth in the global population. In recent years, use of edible insects has been proposed as one promising solution to an upcoming food supply crisis. The rearing of insects for human food and livestock feed has some significant advantages, like high protein content, effective feed conversion rate, low greenhouse gas emissions and low water requirements. The aim of this review was to compile up-to-date information on rearing edible insects for food and feed and to investigate the potential use of forest biomass waste as a new substrate for insect rearing.     

Acceptance of insects as food in Germany: Is it about sensation seeking,sustainability consciousness,or food disgust?

This study examines the acceptance of insect-based foods by consumers in Germany. The nationwide online survey (N = 516) focused on which factors have the greatest influence on the willingness to consume an insect burger and buffalo worms. In addition to sociodemographic factors, meat consumption and the “classical” variables in the field of entomophagy (familiarity, previous insect consumption, food technology neophobia and food neophobia), the study focuses in particular on the previously unconsidered variables sensation seeking, sustainability consciousness and food disgust. A total of 41.9% of the participants were willing to consume an insect burger. In contrast, only 15.9% of the participants were willing to consume the buffalo worms – a principal ingredient of the insect burger. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that food disgust was the most important predictor for the acceptance of edible insects, followed by previous insect consumption, food neophobia, gender, sensation seeking and food technology neophobia. The high influence of food disgust shows that not only the explicit disgust for insects is decisive for the consumer readiness of insect-based products, but also the domain specific disgust for food. Despite the strong sustainability awareness of our participants, and contrary to our expectations, sustainability consciousness did not prove to be a significant predictor for the willingness to consume insects. Implications for marketing strategies and educational interventions will be discussed.     

Consumer acceptance of insect-based alternative meat products in Western countries

During the past few years, entomophagy has been increasing in significance. As insects are generally high in protein, they are principally considered as meat substitutes. Nevertheless, in Western countries, meat substitute consumption is actually very low, principally due to food neophobia and poor sensory qualities in comparison with meat. In insect particular case, food neophobia is clearly high. To reduce insect food neophobia, previous studies suggest to insert invisible insect in food preparation and/or to associate them with known flavors. In this study, a survey on entomophagy perception and hedonic tests were realized to assess the level of sensory-liking of hybrid insect-based burgers (beef, lentils, mealworms and beef, mealworms and lentils). Participants’ overall liking of the four burgers differed between genders and was influenced by burger appearance and taste. Women clearly preferred beef burger appearance, whereas men preferred the appearance of beef and insect-based burgers. Concerning insect-based burger taste, participants (men and women) rated it intermediately, between that of the beef and lentil burger, with a preference for the mealworm and beef burger. Results also showed that people with previous entomophagy experience was limited but that they gave globally higher ratings to all preparations. In conclusion, insect tasting sessions are important to decrease food neophobia, as they encourage people to “take the first step” and become acquainted with entomophagy. Nevertheless, insect integration into Western food culture will involve a transitional phase with minced or powdered insects incorporated into ready-to-eat preparations, as people are not ready to add insects to their diets in “whole form.”     

Traditional consumption of and rearing edible insects in Africa,Asia and Europe

ABSTRACT

The traditional consumption of edible insects is common in one third of the world's population, mostly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. There are over one thousand identified species of insects eaten in some stage of their life cycle; and they play important roles in ensuring food security. The most common way to collect insects are from the wild, which is seasonal with limited availability and has an increasing demand resulting in a disruption to the ecosystem. There is a growing interest shown in rearing insects for commercial purposes, and an industrial scale production will be required to ensure steady supplies. Industrial production will need to take into account the living environment of insects, the nutritional composition of their feed and the overall efficiency of the production system. We provide a short overview on the consumption of and rearing insects in Africa, Asia and Europe. For Africa, a snapshot is given for Nigeria, Ghana, Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda, while the following countries are reported for Asia: China, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, a list of insect species with the highest potential for food and feed in the European Union is provided with some reference to The Netherlands and Finland. The review concludes that there is need to better understand the rearing and farming procedures that will yield high quality edible insects in Africa, Asia and Europe.     

A systematic review of nutrient composition data available for twelve commercially available edible insects,and comparison with reference values

BackgroundEdible insects have been proposed as a more environmentally sustainable and nutritious alternative to conventional livestock. In response to the promotion of insects as food and feed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, insect agriculture is now a growing industry across the world. Yet information regarding the nutritional composition of commercially available insect species is disparate in terms of data quality, the location of published sources, and the form in which data is presented.Scope and approachWe conducted a systematic review of all published nutrient composition data for twelve selected species of commercially available edible insect. Our objective was to create a nutrient composition table in line with INFOODS/EuroFIR guidelines, and to present the results in a standardised form that is easily comprehensible for nutritionists and policy-makers.Key findings and conclusionsOur results expose the low quality of data describing edible insect nutritional composition, when compared to INFOODS/EuroFIR recommendations. This calls attention to the need for greater adherence to international guidelines in this field. The data that were included in our final table show clear within-species variation in the proportion of both macro- and micronutrients. This highlights the importance of external factors such as feed and ecology in determining nutrient composition.     

Edible Insects Processing: Traditional and Innovative Technologies

Insects are part of the human diet in many parts of the world. Their nutritional value is widely recognized. Currently, most edible insects are harvested from the wild, although semi‐domestication and indoor farming have increased insect availability and the sustainability of production. In traditional cultures, insects are processed in a number of ways (steaming, roasting, smoking, frying, stewing, and curing, among others) to improve their sensory and nutritional qualities as well as their shelf‐life. In order to increase consumer interest in the West, various technologies have been developed that are aimed primarily at using insects as ingredients in a non‐recognizable form, such as powders or flour. These technologies include drying (sun‐drying, freeze‐drying, oven‐drying, fluidized bed drying, and microwave‐drying) and new processing methods (ultrasound‐assisted extraction, cold atmospheric pressure plasma, and dry fractionation) designed mainly for protein, fat, and/or chitin extraction. Insect‐based ingredients are sold for the production of cookies, chocolates, tortilla‐style chips, and other snacks. This review focuses on edible insect production, processing technologies, and commercialization using strategies ranging from traditional to novel as a sustainable approach for improving food security worldwide.     

Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review

Increasing world population worsens the serious problem of food security in developing countries. On the other hand in industrialized countries, where the problem of food security is of minor concern, health problems related to food refer to 2 main factors: food safety and environmental sustainability of food production. For these reasons, new ways must be found to increase yields while preserving food quality, natural habitats, and biodiversity. Insects could be of great interest as a possible solution due to their capability to satisfy 2 different requirements: (i) they are an important source of protein and other nutrients; (ii) their use as food has ecological advantages over conventional meat and, in the long run, economic benefits. However, little is known on the food safety side and this can be of critical importance to meet society's approval, especially if people are not accustomed to eating insects. This paper aims to collect information in order to evaluate how insects could be safely used as food and to discuss nutritional data to justify why insect food sources can no longer be neglected. Legislative issues will also be discussed.     

Disgust,sushi consumption,and other predictors of acceptance of insects as food by Americans and Indians

Insects are an important human food source, especially in developing countries, because of their efficiency at converting plant foods into animal protein, and their relatively low environment impact. The present study builds on some prior research on eating insects by surveying Indian and American adults. A composite measure of insect acceptance is developed. The results confirm prior findings that Americans are more accepting of insects as a potential food than Indians, and that men are more accepting than women. Substantially more Indians than Americans consider insect ingestion a violation of a protected/sacred value, suggesting a moral objection. Attitudes to and beliefs about insects and insect consumption are decomposed through factor analysis into the same five factors in both countries: Benefits, Risks, Disgust, Religion, and Suffering. Multiple regression indicates that for Americans, Disgust is the major predictor, followed by Benefits. For Indians, the best predictor is Benefits, followed by Disgust and Religion. In both countries, frequency of sushi consumption (a food commonly met with disgust when it was first introduced) is also a significant and substantial predictor of insect acceptance.     

Examining the role of regional culture and geographical distances on the representation of unfamiliar foods in a continental-size country

This study provides an experimental-exploratory investigation about the role of regional culture and Euclidean distances on the consumers’ representation of edible insects in Brazil, a country with an extensive geographical surface. Seven hundred and eighty participants were recruited on the streets of eight cities from different Brazilian states: Manaus in Amazonas; Porto Velho in Rondônia; Macapá in Amapá; Cuiabá in Mato Grosso; Aracaju in Sergipe; Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro; Campinas in São Paulo; and Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul. These participating cities were considered from their cultural identity differences and geographical distances. Through a continual restricted word association task, participants were instructed to promptly verbalize the first five terms that came to their minds when stimulated with the expression “food made with edible insects”. Following, they had to score the valence of each term they produced. The dictionaries produced in each city were compared and classified into groups using the Ellegård’s index. Each group presented distinct ways of expression and attitude with respect to the inductive expression. Basically, Brazil was divided into two main groups according to their representation of edible insects: one consisted by the cities situated near the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, which present a cultural formation influenced by the European immigrants; and the other comprised the cities from the continental region that have strong cultural influence from the Amerindians. Thus, the cultural formation was more decisive to explain the similar representations among the cities than their geographical proximity. Given that, to effectively introduce a novel food in a country with varied regional culture, the marketing strategy should be focused on the values and beliefs of their culture subgroups instead of a single strategy for the whole country.