Prospects of entomophagy
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MINI-REVIEW
Prospects of entomophagy Minakshi Puzari 1 Received: 25 May 2020 / Accepted: 6 October 2020 # African Association of Insect Scientists 2020
Abstract The constant rise in the human population has led to food insecurity and malnourishment issues across the globe. Acceptance and popularization of entomophagy in society can help to meet the increasing demand for food supply. The high nutritive profile of edible insects makes them an excellent supplement in the diet. Consumption of edible insects as food and use in medicine is common among various tribes of the world. However, a major fraction of people is reluctant to accept insects as food. The harvesting of insects when done properly considering all the associated factors, can act as a source of livelihood and the profit margin of insect farming can exceed that of grain. There is a need for proper documentation of the edible species, preparation procedure, and their therapeutic properties along with multi-disciplinary research for sustainable development and commercialization. Keywords Edible insects . Entomotherapy . Food . Insect farming . Sustainable
Introduction
Insects in human culture
Reduction in crop productivity and scarcity of food resources has caused food insecurity issues in many regions across the globe (Gahukar 2011). Among various ethnic groups across the world, the presence of a vast number of native insects has played a role as an alternative food source to deal with the issue of food insecurity. Entomophagy or consumption of edible insects can act as a sustainable resource due to the provision of mass collection within a short duration, high intrinsic growth rate, and need of less rearing space. Due to the positive impact of insect consumption on human health as well as livelihood, Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations labeled insects as an alternative food source to combat food insecurity issues (FAO 2010a, b). This review attempts to shed light on the prospects of using insect as food supplements to meet the increasing consumer demand and taking up this promising business of insect culture as a source of income.
Practiced by humans since ancient times, entomophagy dates before the practice of hunting animals for food (RamosElorduy 2009; Sponheimer et al. 2005), and in current times reflects on the social implications, addressing issues of malnutrition and maintenance of healthy nutrition (Batat and Peter 2020). The ethnic groups of Asia, America, and Australia consume around 1500–2000 species of insects (MacEvilly 2000). In Africa, about 470 insect species have been listed as edible and most of them are caterpillars followed by beetles, termites, and grasshoppers (Van Huis 2020). An important aspect of entomophagy is proper identification of the edible insects scientifically, assessment of the nutrition level (Ademolu et al. 2004; Fagbuaro et al. 2006), and maintenance of record of the methods of preparation for consumption (Yen 2009). Also, various tribes in different parts of the world have been practicing entomo
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