Edible insects as an alternative source of protein are discussed as an important contribution to future feed and food security. However, it has to be ensured that the consumption is non-hazardous. This systematic review summarizes findings concerning...
This Special Issue of Foods explores different aspects of how insects can be used as a novel resource for food and feed. Some contributions deal with questions of acceptability and legality, others tackle problems related to innovative techniques in...
The consumption and farming of insects are gaining global attention as sustainable alternatives to conventional protein sources. Industrial processing of insects into powders or pastes complicates species identification, raising concerns about produc...
Over the last two decades, the insects-as-food-and-feed industry has rapidly emerged. Its growth is largely because insects require substantially less resources (water, food, and energy) to produce than traditional sources of animal protein, making i...
The integration of insect-derived extracts in feed and food products has become a field of growing interest in recent years. In this review, we collect different studies carried out on edible insects’ transformation processes and focus on the v...
The expected global population growth to 9.7 billion people in 2050 and the significant change in global dietary patterns require an increase in global food production by about 60%. The protein supply for feed and food is most critical and requires a...
Insects are part of the diet of over 2 billion people worldwide; however, insects have not been popular in Europe, neither as food nor as a feed ingredient. This has been changing in recent years, due to increased knowledge regarding the nutritional...
Background: Insects are a sustainable source of protein for human food and animal feed. We present a genome assembly, CRISPR gene editing, and life stage-specific transcriptomes for the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, one of the most intensively f...
In recent years, there has been growing interest in insects as an alternative to soybean meal as laying hen feed due to nutrition, sustainability, and animal welfare benefits. Although some studies have investigated consumer acceptance and intentions...
Environmental pollution, population increase, water availability and misuse of land are inexorably driving humans to take on important challenges related to sustainability. The next future is expected to see a significant increase of food and feed de...
The feed sector requires new sustainable sources of protein, and at the same time better waste management practices are required to decrease and upcycle post-consumers’ food waste (catering and organic household waste), which is currently used...
The human population is rapidly growing, subsequently leading to an increase in food and protein demand. Therefore, alternative protein sources have to be evaluated as food and feed. Among the most promising alternative protein sources with significa...
Insects are, by far, the most common animals on our planet. The ubiquity and plethora of ecological niches occupied by insects, along with the strict and sometimes forced coexistence between insects and humans, make insects a target of public health...
Continued population growth could lead to protein deficiency in the human diet. To counteract this risk, attempts are being made to identify new edible sources of protein. The aim of this paper was to review the existing literature and to analyse the...
Insects are a potential source of food and feed for humans and livestock, and they can be consumed in different forms. A combination of freezing, blanching, and drying methods are often recommended to prolong the shelf life of insect-based foods and...
This Special Issue of Foods represents Volume 2 of the topic “Edible Insects as Innovative Foods: Nutritional, Functional and Acceptability Assessments” [...]
Incorporating insect meals into poultry diets has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional feed sources, offering nutritional, welfare benefits, and environmental advantages. This study aims to monitor and compare volatile compounds emitt...
The current linear system of production and consumption is unsustainable. In the food sector, despite the fact that valuable natural resources are intensively used to produce and distribute food products, little is done to upcycle residues generated...
About one-third of the food produced annually worldwide ends up as waste. A minor part of this waste is used for biofuel and compost production, but most is landfilled, causing environmental damage. Mass production of edible insects for human food an...
The studies focused on the use of insects have outlined numerous reasons for using insects as food and feed as an important method to increase food opportunities for consumers. Insects have been emphasized as a food source with a low environmental im...
The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is a commonly reared insect for food and feed purposes. In 1977, a report described a colony collapse, which was caused by the single-stranded DNA virus Acheta domesticus densovirus (AdDV). Currently, there are n...
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Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI, Diptera, Stratiomydae) has great potential as a food and feed ingredient in the European Union (EU). The production of insects as livestock feed or as food ingredients requires strict monitoring of the conten...
Nutrient self-selection was used to determine optimal intake ratios of macro-nutrients by Tenebrio molitor L. larvae. Self-selection experiments consisted of 9 combinations (treatments) of 8 ingredients, from a total of 20 choices, radially distribut...
The exploitation of agricultural byproducts and organic side-streams as insect feeding substrates is advantageous for insect farming both from an economic and a sustainability perspective. In this context, in the present study we evaluated the suitab...
Edible insects are increasingly being considered as food and feed ingredients because of their rich nutrient content. Already, edible insect farming has taken-off in Africa, but quality and safety concerns call for simple, actionable hazard control m...
Background: The house cricket, Acheta domesticus, is one of the most farmed insects worldwide and the foundation of an emerging industry using insects as a sustainable food source. Edible insects present a promising alternative for protein production...
Commercial cricket production has been plagued by viral disease outbreaks that have decimated their potential outputs and profit margins. To date, no epidemiological studies have been performed to estimate the prevalence of major viruses affecting cr...
Industrial insect mass rearing aims to produce quality insects under safe sanitary conditions which can be compromised by pathogens and abiotic stressors. Therefore, knowledge on pathogen persistence, virulence and means of detection is of importance...
Due to the expansion in the global population, there is an increase in animal protein demand and waste generation. Currently, food waste derived from supermarkets, etc., which is used to produce biogas, is collected separately and can contain (micro)...
Over the last few years, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has received a lot of attention due to its potential contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially by reconciling economic growth with the protection of the environm...
This study aimed to investigate the potential accumulation of mycotoxins in the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus, LMW) and black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) larvae. Feed was spiked with aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A...
Amidst the escalating global demand for protein-rich livestock feed, there’s an urgent call to explore innovative alternatives. Insects, renowned for their rich protein, lipid, and nutrient profiles, offer a sustainable solution. Integrating ag...
The extensive use of veterinary antibiotics in livestock production is a growing concern, particularly in terms of environmental sustainability and health security. This review presents the case of veterinary antibiotic use and regulations in Canada...
The effects of population increase and food production on the environment have prompted various international organizations to focus on the future potential for more environmentally friendly and alternative protein products. One of those alternatives...
Collembola display a variety of feeding habits, and prey on many types of food at different trophic levels in the soil. In most cases, their feeding selections are widely varied. In the interest of the food preferences of E. proxima, we attempted to...
Interactions between insects and their microbiota affect insect behaviour and evolution. When specific microorganisms are provided as a dietary supplement, insect reproduction, food conversion and growth are enhanced and health is improved in cases o...
Most of world’s fish and seafood are produced by aquaculture, which is one of the biggest contributors to the world’s food security. The substantial increase in prices of conventional feed ingredients and the over-exploitation of natural...
Insect-based dog food is increasingly becoming available in pet food markets, potentially offering environmental and nutritional benefits, depending on insect species and how they are reared, processed, and utilized. However, there is limited underst...
Chemosensation and mechanosensation are vital to insects’ survival and behavior, shaping critical physiological processes such as feeding, metabolism, mating, and reproduction. During feeding, insects rely on diverse chemosensory and mechanosen...
Nowadays, insects are reared for food and feed. This idea includes the rearing of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.). The study aimed to assess the effect of pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials on the growth, survival, and chemical compositi...
Future food systems must provide more food produced on less land with fewer greenhouse gas emissions if the goal is to keep planetary boundaries within safe zones. The valorisation of agricultural and industrial by-products by insects is an increasin...
Mycotoxins are a group of toxic secondary metabolites produced in the food chain by fungi through the infection of crops both before and after harvest. Mycotoxins are one of the most important food safety concerns due to their severe poisonous and ca...
Slovenia, influenced by Slavic, Mediterranean, and Balkan cultures, along with Austro-Hungarian traditions and strong environmental concerns, is an ideal case study for understanding consumer perceptions of edible insects and increasing their accepta...
Edible insects are expected to become an important nutrient source for animals and humans in the Western world in the near future. Only a few studies on viruses in edible insects with potential for industrial rearing have been published and concern o...
The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is reared on a large scale, mainly for silk production. The waste from this silk production, like pupae, is underused. As an edible insect, B. mori is a good source of protein in human food and animal feed. In recent years,...
While the use of alien insect species for food and feed can help to alleviate protein shortage and provide for a more sustainable feed production, their invasive potential should be considered since invasive alien species represent one of the five ma...
Neuropeptides play vital roles in energy homeostasis in insects and other animals. Although the importance of the regulatory network of neuropeptides in feeding and metabolism has been illuminated, a complete understanding of the mechanisms has not b...
Insects, the most varied group of known organisms on Earth, are arousing great interest also for the possibility to use them as a feed and food source. The mass rearing of some species, defined as “bioconverters”, is spreading worldwide,...
Insects are attracting increased attention in western countries as a protein source for feed and food industries. Currently, insect farmers use high-quality (cereal-based) diets. Part of the ingredients in these diets can also be used directly in foo...
Edible insect farming represents a promising sector focused on producing sustainable and nutritional food and feed. Compared to conventionally farmed animals, insects are more sustainable, thanks to lower greenhouse gas emissions, efficient bioconver...
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