Search Results (1,685)

The growing market for insect-based food and feed ingredients raises concerns about authenticity, labelling transparency, and regulatory compliance, highlighting the need for rapid screening methods capable of distinguishing selected insect-derived materials. In this preliminary feasibility study, Raman spectroscopy combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was evaluated for the fingerprinting and differentiation of PBS-extractable components from nine insect species. Extracts of 96 dried insect samples prepared in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 9.4) were analysed, yielding 358 insect spectra after quality control; PBS spectra were included as a technical control class. The overall correct classification rate (CCR) reached 61.6%, indicating moderate classification performance rather than validated species-level authentication. Apis mellifera drones achieved 100.0% CCR, while Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor both reached 80.0%. Complete misclassification of Shelfordella tartara as Blaptica dubia indicated strong spectral similarity between closely related cockroach species. VIP score analysis identified the 1700–1800 cm⁻¹ region, corresponding primarily to lipid ester carbonyl vibrations, as the most discriminatory spectral range. The results suggest that Raman spectroscopy can provide taxon-related biochemical fingerprints of PBS-extractable insect components, while also highlighting the need for expanded reference libraries, improved sampling strategies, and validation in complex food matrices to further develop its potential as a screening approach. Full article

Single studies are often cited to support claims of nutritional soundness or unsoundness regarding vegan or meat-based pet foods when compared to nutritional guidelines from authorities such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF), and the National Research Council (NRC). However, there is little overarching evidence concerning the nutritional soundness of these different pet food types. Such overarching evidence is increasingly important as alternative vegan or meat-based pet food types become more available, such as insect-based, raw meat, and microbial protein-based pet foods. In this systematic review, 54 relevant studies examining the nutritional soundness of vegan, vegetarian, or meat-based dog or cat foods were descriptively analyzed. Only 10 (18.5%) studies found no nutritional deficiencies or excesses across their sampled pet foods relative to AAFCO, FEDIAF, or NRC guidelines. Numerous nutrient deficiencies and excesses were found across all pet food types. Most commonly, these included deficiencies in calcium, phosphorus, and zinc for both dog and cat food, as well as the amino acid taurine exclusively in cat food. The nutrients found to be most commonly in excess were also calcium and phosphorus, and copper—with the latter breaching not only FEDIAF requirements, but also EU legislative limits. Meat-based, insect-based, veterinary prescription, and vegan pet food types each had particularly at-risk nutrients that pet food companies should be aware of. For instance, vegan pet foods often performed well in terms of their fatty acid profile and selenium levels, but some had deficiencies in certain B vitamins. In contrast, some meat-based pet foods were prone to selenium deficiencies. Generally speaking, aside from such specific nutritional flaws, problems were observed across all pet food types. In fact, dog and cat foods (including wet and dry, growth and adult maintenance) of various types commonly failed to fulfil multiple nutritional requirements. To safeguard dog and cat health and welfare, urgent interventions are warranted to improve the nutritional soundness of many pet foods. Full article

To feed a growing population, humanity will need to see an increased global agricultural output in crop production. One key strategy for achieving this goal is to reduce herbivory by insect pests, which is one of the leading causes of crop loss. Although there have been many strategies for combating insect herbivores, biological control may be the most sustainable in the long term. Birds in particular are potentially powerful biocontrol agents, but how avian predation varies within individual agricultural settings remains largely unknown. Here, we analyzed temporal and spatial variations in putative avian predation potential on insect pests in a small-scale agricultural setting. Our results show that the spatial distribution of predation potential is nearly uniform across a small field, indicating that birds with their vagility may be particularly well suited for applying constant, uniform coverage, at least across smaller landscapes. We also found that predation potential by birds varied significantly between seasons, with the fall showing the highest rate of predation. We discuss the applications of our findings for further studies investigating the biocontrol potential of natural bird populations and for leveraging such avian predation to help improve food production systems. Full article

This study used black soldier fly protein (BSFP) as a base material and added 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% of grape seed anthocyanidins (GSAs) to prepare composite gels. Through the combined use of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and rheometry, the relationships among GSA dosage (0–3%), gel structural properties (secondary protein conformation, water status, and microscopic morphology), and rheological printability were systematically evaluated. It was found that the better GSA content fell within 1–3%, and under this condition the extrusion-type 3D printing performance of the composite gels was significantly enhanced. At a 3% addition amount, the proportion of disordered conformations decreased (random coiling decreased from 15.93% to 15.46%), the ordered structure increased (β-sheet increased from 35.25% to 35.43%), and deformation resistance was enhanced. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance showed an increase in the proportion of non-flowing water and an increase in physical constraints. Scanning electron microscopy showed a reduction in pore size and a thickening of pore walls, forming a denser 3D network. Rheologic analysis indicated that 3% GSA reached the maximum zero-shear viscosity (η₀) and that the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) were higher in the experimental group than those in the control group. Printing fidelity increased from 45.73% in the control group to 60.08% in the 1% group, 62.14% in the 2% group, and 71.05% in the 3% group (p < 0.05). The 3–5% groups (fidelity: 71.05–75.66%) all achieved hollow cylindrical printing without collapse and had excellent self-supporting performance. However, excessive addition (4–5%) caused excess GSA to adsorb onto the protein skeleton surface, reducing the apparent viscosity and damaging the printing performance. Based on all the indicators, the composite gel with 3% GSA achieved the best balance between printability and structural integrity. Our research offers a new idea for using flavonoid compounds to improve the 3D printing performance of insect protein gels. The prepared composite gels can be used as food printing inks and applied to personalized nutrition customization, functional food development, and sustainable protein alternative product fields. Full article

The accelerating urgency of global public health challenges, biodiversity loss, and climate change has driven rapid innovation in novel foods and alternative proteins, including cultured cells, fermentation-derived components, plant-based meats, insects, and algae, which promise nutritious, sustainable, and ethical dietary choices with lower environmental footprints. Although technologies have advanced, consumer perception and preferences remain key hindrances due to perceptual, cultural, and sensory challenges. This semi-systematic narrative literature review aims to incorporate interdisciplinary studies (2020–2025) that span sensory science, AI-driven marketing, behavioral economics, and policy analysis to explore consumer incentives, barriers, and intervention approaches associated with novel food categories. Of 1260 initial records, 310 duplicates were removed, 530 were excluded at title/abstract screening, 233 were excluded at full-text review, leaving 197 studies for the final synthesis. The focus is on understanding cultural contexts, cognitive biases, digital and social influences, and the global framing impacts that shape consumer adoption. Consumer perceptions and preferences are primarily influenced by health benefits, ethical concerns, and environmental sustainability; however, neophobia, sensory unfamiliarity, trust deficits, and price temper these factors. Preliminary evidence suggests that AI-generated personalization, transparent labeling, behavioral nudges, and social norms may be useful tools for overcoming resistance to change, though the effectiveness of AI-driven personalization in actual purchasing behavior is not yet firmly established. Cultural diversity affects acceptance routes, with culturally established insect consumption differing from Western neophobia. Future studies should integrate interdisciplinary methodologies, longitudinal cross-cultural analyses, and innovative technologies to enhance communication and product design. Full article

Larvae of Pycnopscyche guttifer, a large, leaf-shredding caddisfly, have become common in rivers of northern Nova Scotia, Canada, where they may greatly accelerate decomposition rates of leaf litter. How the larvae find litter patches in the complex environment of a stream bottom, and how they decide which litter types to feed on, have not been fully examined. In field and laboratory experiments, I determined the preference of P. guttifer to conditioned leaf litter from four species of deciduous trees ranging from recalcitrant and nutrient poor (red oak) to soft and nutrient rich (speckled alder). In field experiments, larvae exhibited a strong preference toward speckled alder and red maple litter, while trembling aspen and especially red oak litter were rarely used. The abundance of larvae on red maple litter varied according to whether aspen or oak litter was nearby. In laboratory choice experiments, larvae searched actively, moving in straight lines in random directions. They deserted less-favoured litter types sooner than favoured litter types, but sometimes abandoned favoured litter types as well. In a complex environment containing many kinds of litter in scattered patches, a restless larva that periodically searches for new food patches may maximize its intake of energy or essential nutrients and obtain a selective advantage over those that remain on acceptable patches. Full article

Bumblebees are dominant pollinators threatened by environmental antibiotic residues. This study investigated sublethal chloramphenicol (12 and 120 μg/L) effects on Bombus terrestris after 15 days’ exposure. The results showed that chloramphenicol exposure had no significant effect on the survival rate and cumulative food intake of bumblebees, confirming the sublethal property of the tested concentrations. However, chloramphenicol significantly dysregulated the expression of genes related to learning–memory (DopR2, Oamb, NMDA), immunity (abaecin, defensin) and detoxification (cyp9Q6) in bumblebees. High-dose chloramphenicol significantly increased carboxylesterase activity and reduced malondialdehyde content, while superoxide dismutase activity remained unchanged. In addition, chloramphenicol exposure significantly reshaped the gut microbiota structure of bumblebees, reduced the abundance of core beneficial symbiotic bacteria, and increased the proportion of drug-resistant bacteria. Our findings indicate that sublethal concentrations of chloramphenicol can impair bumblebee health through multiple pathways, including regulating gene expression, altering antioxidant enzyme activity and disrupting gut microbiota homeostasis. This study provides multi-dimensional toxicological data and a scientific basis for the ecological risk assessment of agricultural antibiotic residues to pollinator insects. Full article

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on food imports, making sustainable protein integration a national priority under Vision 2030. However, large-scale adoption of edible insects remains limited by psychological, cultural, and religious barriers that vary across consumer groups. This study develops a behavioral segmentation framework using a cross-sectional survey of 2208 Saudi adults, representing one of the largest behavioral studies of edible insect adoption in the Saudi context. Three distinct segments emerged from hierarchical cluster analysis: Resistant Rejectors (43.1%), Conditional Adopters (33.0%), and Early Adopters (23.9%). Gender-stratified ordinal logistic regression revealed distinct adoption pathways: among men, willingness was primarily associated with interest in entomophagy (OR = 3.46) and social influence (OR = 2.51); among women, prior consumption experience was the strongest facilitator (OR = 3.07), while religious concern represented the most substantial barrier (OR = 0.15). Acceptance of insects as animal feed was consistently higher than direct consumption across all segments, supporting a three-stage integration model (feed → processed foods → direct consumption) as a culturally pragmatic transition pathway. These findings provide actionable, segment-specific insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and food system innovators. Full article

Background: Meat-based and meat analogue products are commonly consumed foods for protein nourishment across the globe. These food products are promising carrier media that can be targeted for the delivery of edible insect products as a strategy to overcome food neophobia. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of edible insect enrichment on the nutritional, physicochemical, techno-functional, and acceptability of meat-based and meat analogue products for consumers. Methods: A systematic search for relevant articles was conducted on the databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus on 5 November 2025. A total of 25 papers were included. Results: Edible insects and larvae from mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers, silkworm pupae, and superworms were commonly used to enrich meat-based and meat analogue products. Commonly reported meat products were sausages from pork and beef, pork patties, meat emulsion, and frankfurters. Soya flour was commonly used for meat analogue formulation. Conclusions: Acceptable edible insect incorporation is matrix-dependent, with conventional meat products generally tolerating low substitution levels (≈2.5–10%) before sensory and structural quality declines, whereas meat analogue systems can accommodate substantially higher inclusion (≈10–40% and, in some cases, up to ~60%). However, heterogeneity in formulations and sensory evaluation methods restricts direct comparison across studies. Full article

This scoping review evaluates the role of vector-associated dissemination in contaminating the Philippine food supply chain with antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) Salmonella, an emerging infectious disease threat, using a One Health perspective to map the mechanisms through which insects and rodents bridge environmental reservoirs to human food systems. This scoping review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. From 1969 records identified through systematic database searches, 52 studies met the inclusion criteria. These comprised 21 primary Philippine studies, 28 non-Philippine studies (including ASEAN-based historical baseline reports), and 3 policy/gray literature studies, prioritized to reflect tropical ecological and agricultural settings. Results suggest that intensive swine and poultry farming may contribute to the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) linked to genes such as bla_TEM and qnr. Evidence suggests that Salmonella persists in environmental matrices, such as manure and irrigation water, and that synanthropic vectors, including Rattus rattus and various fly species, potentially serve as biological and mechanical bridges in transmission. Clinical data reveal an alarming trend toward invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis (iNTS) showing reduced susceptibility to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Despite these findings, major evidence gaps remain, particularly regarding the prevalence of vector-borne Salmonella in pre-harvest produce. Consequently, mitigation requires a One Health framework that integrates non-antibiotic interventions, pest management to disrupt transmission pathways, and rapid diagnostic tools, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), to enhance market surveillance. Full article

Gamma irradiation is one of the techniques widely authorized for the decontamination of dried herbs and spices. Its effect on the functional properties of essential oils, however, remains incompletely characterized. In this study, we examined the impact of gamma irradiation (at 5, 15, and 25 kGy) on the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, and insect-repellent activity of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil. The GC-MS analysis revealed that the citral-dominant chemotype remained stable across all irradiation doses, with geranial and neral constituting approximately 62–63% of the volatile profile. The antibacterial assays were done on five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae). Inhibition zones showed no statistically significant differences across irradiation doses (p ≥ 0.05), while MIC (75–100 µg/mL) and MBC (125–150 µg/mL) values remained constant across all doses. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP antioxidant assays revealed no dose-dependent changes (DPPH IC₅₀: 688–703 µg/mL; ABTS IC₅₀: 18–22 µg/mL; FRAP: 505–517 µg/mL ascorbic-acid equivalents). The essential oil exhibited pronounced repellent activity (87–99%) against adult Tribolium confusum beetles at 0.125 µL/cm², persisting for 24 h and unaffected by irradiation. Molecular docking of the major constituents (geranial, neral, geraniol, and β-myrcene) against key target proteins (3N7H, 3NVY, 4URM, and 8BN6) provided predictive support consistent with the observed activities, indicating plausible molecular interactions rather than confirmed target engagement. In silico ADME and toxicity profiling indicated favorable predicted pharmacokinetic properties and no major in silico toxicity alerts for the four modeled constituents. Taken together, these findings indicate that, under the conditions tested, gamma irradiation at food-decontamination doses produced no major shifts in composition and no statistically detectable changes in the measured bioactivities of C. citratus essential oil. Full article

Insect larvae are naturally part of the diet of farmed animals, for instance poultry, pigs, and fish. Thus, the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) has been grown for use as a source of protein in animal feed. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) feed on various organic materials and bioaccumulate the nutrients obtained from the organic materials. This results in BSFL with protein content ranging from 25 to 60% depending on the type of organic material fed. Feeding strategies customized for optimizing BSFL growth and protein deposition are essential for sustainably increasing the production of BSFL to meet the growing demand for their use in animal feed. Feeding strategies for sustainable BSFL production should: ensure nutrient utilization efficiency to optimize BSFL growth and protein deposition; use readily available local organic material of good nutritional quality, safe, and acceptable for use in the animal feed industry; ensure economic and environmental sustainability; and adhere to existing legislature. While substantial information on feeding BSFL is available in different data sources, the literature mainly focuses on increasing BSFL production without integrating sustainability issues, especially economic and environmental sustainability. The objective of this review was to synthesize and consolidate existing information on feeding strategies for BSFL production from different sources and point out sustainable feeding strategies, existing knowledge gaps, and aspects that require further research. The purpose of the review is to provide information on feeding practices for the sustainable production of BSFL to meet the growing demand for BSFL in animal feed. This will contribute to improved food security, environmental management, and job creation. BSFL can feed on mixed organic material food sources more efficiently, reducing the volume of the food by up to 72%, while bioaccumulating the nutrients better than when feeding on individual organic sources such as fruit or vegetable waste. Full article

Edible insects are increasingly recognized as a viable alternative protein source, offering a potentially sustainable approach to addressing global food security challenges. This narrative review critically examines the nutritional composition, environmental advantages, techno-functional attributes, and potential applications of insect-based proteins within human food systems. Edible insects are characterized by high protein content, favourable essential amino acid profiles, and appreciable levels of key micronutrients, rendering them nutritionally comparable to conventional livestock-derived proteins. Moreover, insect production systems generally require substantially lower inputs of land, water, and feed, resulting in comparatively lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced overall environmental burden. Despite these advantages, broader adoption remains constrained by challenges related to regulatory heterogeneity, food safety concerns, and limited consumer acceptance. Overall, the available evidence suggests that edible insects can function as a nutritionally adequate and environmentally sustainable complementary protein source; however, significant variability in nutrient composition, limitations in standardized safety assessment, and socio-cultural barriers currently restrict their large-scale integration into mainstream food systems. In addition, inconsistencies in analytical methodologies and reliance on in vitro data further complicate cross-study comparisons and translational relevance. Future research should focus on standardization of rearing and processing conditions, harmonization of evaluation frameworks (e.g., protein quality indices), comprehensive safety assessments, and well-designed clinical studies to validate nutritional and functional benefits, alongside the development of effective strategies to improve consumer acceptance and support regulatory alignment across regions. Full article

Agri-food by-products (BP) and BP-derived fractions are increasingly recognized as sources of functional and nutritional compounds (e.g., dietary fibers, proteins, waxes, phytosterols, phenolics, carotenoids) that can be upcycled into high-value food ingredients, to improve the sustainability of agri-food chains. This review provides a wide-ranging vision of the potential use of BP and BP-derived fractions in OG formulations, emphasizing the roles they can play (e.g., structuring agents, stabilizers, surfactants, physical scaffolds, fillers, sources of antioxidants), while offering mechanistic insights and science-based perspectives to support the rational design of tailor-made OGs for specific food applications. Particular attention is given to emerging areas including plant-based and hybrid products, and the valorization of insect BP and co-products. Finally, key gaps limiting BP-based OG design and application (e.g., effects on crystallization, interfacial phenomena, dispersion, scaffold/filler behavior, etc.) are identified and translated into a research roadmap and design guidelines for the formulation of tailor-made, scalable BP-based OGs. Full article