This presentation talks about practice of eating insects around the world and its importance and significance for humans

1. EDIBLE INSECTS IN
NUTRITION
HARJOT SINGH (21FET207)

2. INTRODUCTION
 Insects are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta and the
largest group within the arthropod phylum having
a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body
(head, thorax and abdomen)
 The practice of eating insects is known as human entomophagy.
 According to FAO, almost 2 billion people in the world have insects
as a part of their diet.
 More than 2300 species of 18 orders have been reported as edible
insects.
 The majority of them are harvested from nature though some
species are farmed in a large scale.

3. Ants Crickets Grasshoppers
Beetles Scorpions Cicadas

4. HISTORY
 People have been eating insects for a millennia, with earliest
reference in biblical literature.
 Archaeological evidence shows that early species of humans like
Australopithecus and Cro-Magnon also consumed insects.
 Jewish literature also mention entomophagy.
 Early writings from civilizations like Greek, Assyrian, Egyptian also
tells us the same thing
 During Mao era in China, as the Chinese economy was changing
from agriculture to industry, government highly promoted the use
of edible insects as a source of nutrition.
 In the scientific era, many scholars advocated the addition of
insects in the western diet.

5. TYPES
 1000-2000 species of insects are eaten approximately
 These include 235 butterflies and moths, 344 beetles, 313 ants,
bees and wasps, 239 grasshoppers, crickets and cockroaches,
39 termites, and 20 dragonflies, as well as cicadas.
 The table below lists the top five insect orders consumed by
humans worldwide.
Order of insect Common name Consumption rate worldwide by
human population (%)
Coleoptera Beetles 31
Lepidoptera Butterflies, moths 18
Hymenoptera Bees, wasps, ants 14
Orthoptera Grasshoppers, locusts, crickets 13
Hemiptera Cicadas, leafhoppers, planthoppers 10

6. TYPES
 To introduce into the western market, some insects are
converted into other forms like powders and flours.
 Main species that are suitable for industrialized mass
consumption are:
Mealworms
Lesser mealworms
House cricket
Tropical house cricket
European migratory locust
Black soldier fly
Housefly
Mealworms House cricket
Locust Black soldier fly

7. NUTRITION
 Highly nutritious and cheapest source of animal protein
and fat which is comparable to milk and meat
 Usually contain more crude protein compared with the
conventional meat, though their amino acid compositions
are usually analogous.
 Cricket meals showed equal or superior protein as
compared to soy protein as an amino acid source
 The nutrient quality of the insect protein is promising in
comparison to casein and soy but varies and can be
improved by the removal of the chitin.
 Most edible insects provide satisfactorily with the
required essential amino acids.
Species Crude Protein (%)
Coleoptera 41.75
Blattodea (cockroach) 68.33
Diptera 48.81
Hemiptera 48.83
Hymnoptera 51.43
Lipidoptera 65.25
Orthoptera 59.17
Isoptera (termite) 33.00

8. NUTRITION
 Fat represents the second largest portion of the nutrient
composition of edible insects
 Generally abundant with fats. The fat content ranges
from 7% to 77 % and rich in w-3 and w- 6 compared to
cattle and pigs
 Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty
acids (MUFAs) usually compose more than 80% of all fats.
 They do not contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
 The fatty acids of insects are generally comparable to
those of poultry and fish in their degree of unsaturation,
but contain more PUFA
 Fatty acid composition and cholesterol content varies
according to their diet
Species Crude fat (%)
Coleoptera 25.05
Blattodea (cockroach) 35.81
Diptera 21.94
Hemiptera 32.25
Hymnoptera 18.71
Lipidoptera 37.95
Orthoptera 19.92
Isoptera (termite) 36.80

9. NUTRITION
 Great sources of vitamins A, B(1–12), C, D, E, K and
micronutrients like iron, magnesium, manganese,
phosphorous, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc
 Edible insects have great value in supplying calories with
caloric contributions vary from 290 to more than 750
kcal/100 g
 Also a good source of fiber due to their high chitin
content is high
 Adults are composed of a high amount of chitin which is
indigestible, and are thus low in calories. Larvae and
pupae are usually composed of high amounts of proteins
and fats, corresponding to high calories.
Species Ca K Mg P Na
Coleoptera 157.0 15.2 135.0 15.2 47.2
Blattodea 24.0 160.0 21.0 122.0 53.0
Diptera 934.0 453.0 174.0 356.0 88.70
Hemiptera 1021 200.0 8301 1234 401.1
Hymnoptera 222.9 1585 201.7 860.1 75.60
Lipidoptera 40.00 1150 50.00 730.0 30.0
Orthoptera 132.1 1126 109.4 957.7 435.0
Isoptera 0.10 336.0 6.10 1.49 112.0
Mineral composition[mg/100 g] (dry weight)

10. Add a Slide Title - 2

11. PROCESSING
 TRADITIONAL COOKING
Insect consumption is higher at lower latitudes i.e. in tropical regions of the
world and this can dictate consumption pattern
Cooking enhances the digestibility and bioactivity of proteins in the digestive
tract
Some cooking procedures can increase the shelf-life of food products by
reducing foodborne and degradative enzymes.
It may also lead to nutrient loss, protein denaturation, amino acid
destruction or modification, and maillard reactions.
These cooking techniques, include steaming, roasting, smoking, frying,
stewing, and curing
These are normally preceded by blanching

12. PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES IN INDUSTRY
 BLANCHING
Insects placed in boiling water for a short period, removed, and then
plunged into ice water
Used as a pretreatment at industrial and traditional level
Microbial counts reduce and enzymes get inactivated
Increase in moisture level and loss of color parameters
Different time and temperature parameters for different insects
 DRYING
Most widely used technology for increasing the shelf-life of foods
Drying techniques range from traditional methods (for example,
roasting, frying, and sun-drying) to modern methods (for example,
freeze-drying, microwave-assisted drying)
It reduces the water activity on insects hence reduce the chances of
microbial spoilage

13. PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES IN INDUSTRY
 In some cases, whole insect may not be consumed but nutrients extracted
 New processing technologies for edible insects have been used mainly for protein, fat,
and chitin extraction
 Protein extraction:
 Fat extraction
 Chitin extraction
In industrial processing, chitin is extracted by acid treatment to dissolve the calcium
carbonate followed by alkaline solution to dissolve proteins.
Using water,
organic solvents,
and enzymes
Dry
fractionation
Defatting
Alkaline
extraction
Sonication
extraction
Ultrasound-
assisted aqueous
extraction
Cold
atmospheric
pressure plasma
Supercritical CO2
extraction
Soxhlet
extraction,
Aqueous
extraction
Folch extraction.

14. Entomophagy in India
 Entomophagy is practiced on a large scale by the tribal communities of
northeastern India.
 More than 100 insect species in nine different orders form a major
component of their main nutrient intake and are reported as a normal
part of the diet
 Central parts and southern states are another hub of entomophagy in
India. Apart from these, entomophagy is nearly absent.
 Termites, honey bees, grasshoppers, stink bugs, aquatic insects, and
silkworms, Crickets are are popular in India.
 The consumption of coleopteran species is highest constituting about
34%; next come Orthoptera (24%); Hemiptera (17%); Hymanoptera (10%);
Odonatae (8%); Lepidoptera (4%); Isoptera (2%) and the least is
Ephimeroptera (1%).

15. BARRIERS TO INTRODUCTION OF EDIBLE INSECTS IN MARKET
Rejection
by west
Disgust
factor
Safety
concern
Availability
Lack of
Awareness
Food
Neophobia

16. INSECT FOOD PRODUCTS
 The following processed food products are produced by several producers in North
America, Canada, and the EU:
Insect flour: Pulverized, freeze-dried insects (e.g., cricket flour).
Insect burger: Hamburger patties made from insect flour (mainly from
mealworms or from house cricket)
Insect fitness bars: Protein bars containing insect powder (mostly house
crickets).
Insect pasta: Pasta made of wheat flour, fortified with insect flour (house
crickets or mealworms).
Insect bread: Bread baked with insect flour (mostly house crickets).
Insect snacks: Crisps, flips or small snacks (bites) made with insect powder and
other ingredients.

17. Cricket flour Bug burger Cricket flour pasta
Insect bread Insect snacks Cricket energy bar

18. FLAVOURS OF INSECTS
INSECT TASTES LIKE
Ants Sweet, Almost nutty
Aquatic insects Fish
Leaf footed bugs Pumpkin
Stinkbugs Apple
Termites Nutty
Wasps Pine nuts
Mealworms Nutty, Whole wheat bread

19. ADVANTAGES
 Highly nutritious: High-quality protein and nutrients compared with
meat and fish.
 Environment friendly:
 High feed conversion efficiency of insects. For example, crickets have
been found to require less than 2 kg of feed for every 1 kg of
bodyweight gain. In contrast, the amount of feed typically required
to produce an increase in bodyweight by 1 kg (feed-to-meat
conversion rate) is 2.5 kg for chicken, 5 kg for pork and up to 10 kg
for beef.
 They can be reared on organic side-streams, such as various types of
biological waste, including manure, compost and human waste
 They emit smaller amounts of greenhouse gases and ammonia than
pigs or cattle.
 Insect farming requires significantly less land and water than cattle
rearing.

20. ADVANTAGES
 Protection: It helps in prevention and management of chronic
diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, and
enhanced immune function
 Antioxidant and Anti inflammatory properties: Many insect-based
foodstuffs, including cricket powder, contain high quantities of
bioactive peptides with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
For example, Glycosaminoglycan, a polysaccharide found in crickets
produce a significant anti-inflammatory effect.
 Food Security: In under developed regions of the world, where
food resources are not sufficient, insects are a very good option to
remove hunger

21. FOOD SAFETY ISSUES
 Allergy hazards: Some components in insects can cause allergic reaction. Arthropods,
such as shellfish (mainly shrimp, lobster, and crayfish) are widely known to be able to
induce allergic reactions in susceptible individuals
 Microbial hazards: Insects can act as vectors to transmit pathogens to farm animals and
then these may pass onto humans.
 Parasitical hazards: Insects may harbor parasites like flukes. Among potential foodborne
and waterborne pathogens also Protozoa, such as Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia
lamblia, have been isolated in cockroaches.
 Chemical hazards: Pesticides that are used against insects may get accumulated in them
and these can be very harmful to humans

22. CONCLUSION
 Entomophagy is the key to solving the growing needs of nutrients
globally.
 Insects can serve in various areas in addition to being eaten as cuisines
and snacks.
 However, it is still concerned that the utilization of edible insects might
bring health and safety issues.
 New strategies of promotion and production should be proposed to
attract and reassure the customers.
 Comprehensive and intensive studies of the insects would be needed to
ensure the food security and avoid potential risk.
 Overall it has the potential of preventing many diseases related to
deficiency of nutrition and hunger

23. REFERENCES
 Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients: Production, Processing and Food Applications(2016) Edited by
Aaron T. Dossey, Juan A. Morales-Ramos and M. Guadalupe Rojas
 Chufei Tang, Ding Yang, Huaijian Liao, Hongwu Sun, Chuanjing Liu, Lanjun Wei and Fanfan Li (2019).
Edible insects as a food source: a review. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition
 Birgit A. Rumpold and Oliver K. Schluter (2013). Nutritional composition and safety aspects of edible
insects. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2013, 57, 802–823
 Guiomar Melgar-Lalanne , Alan-Javier Hernandez Alvarez, and Alejandro Salinas-Castro (2019). Edible
Insects Processing: Traditional and Innovative Technologies. Institute of Food Technologists
 Simone Belluco, Carmen Losasso, Michela Maggioletti, Cristiana C. Alonzi, Maurizio G. Paoletti, and
Antonia Ricci (2013). Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review.
Institute of Food Technologists
 Nura Abdullahi, Enerst Chukwusoro Igwe, Munir Abba Dandago, Alkasim Kabiru Yunusa (2021).
Consumption of edible-insects: the challenges and the prospects. Food ScienTech Journal Vol. 3 (1)
 Jharna Chakravorty (2014). Diversity of Edible Insects and Practices of Entomophagy in India: An
Overview. Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Development 2014, 1:3