Insects as a Sustainable, Nutritional Food Source

After spending an entire day investigating whether killer cockroaches were actually extraterrestrial robots in the X-Files episode “War of the Coprophages,” FBI agent Fox Mulder explains to his partner, “I hate insects. … I’m not afraid of them. I hate them.”

Fear them or loathe them, insects are here to stay, and they vastly outnumber humans. Many species keep the numbers of less-than-desirable ones in check, some are beneficial to agriculture, while others are a source of food for humans. It is this last point that has generated research on the consumption of insects, and in fact, scientists and researchers around the world are exalting insects not just as a rich source of protein and other nutrients, but also as a sustainable way to feed the world’s growing population.

Throughout much of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, insects of all kinds are consumed for their high amount of protein as well as for other nutrients. In these places, insects are sustenance, whereas in the United States and Europe, consuming insects is looked upon with disgust or at best something for television entertainment (think of the reality shows in which contestants are challenged to consume insects to win prizes). But consuming insects, called  entomophagy, is less of a novelty and more of a necessity because of the growing population, climate change, overfishing, and diminishing resources such as land and water, according to the report “Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security.” Published as a collaborative effort between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and entomologists with Wageningen University in the Netherlands, the report takes a comprehensive look at how insects can play an important role in improving diets and food security.

Scientists believe that of the 1.4 million known animal species, 1 million are insects. The researchers from Wageningen estimate that there are about 1,900 edible insect species, and they found that people consume insects not only when food is scarce but because they want to. As such, insects have become part of their local culinary traditions. Many who advocate entomophagy emphasize the nutritional benefits of insects. While the nutrient content of insects varies species to species and depending on which stage the insect is in in its development, the researchers report that many edible insects are high in protein, contain monounsaturated and/ or polyunsaturated fatty acids, contain fiber, and are rich in different minerals and vitamins. For example, they present research that shows mealworms contain similar amounts of omega-3 fatty acids as fish and higher amounts than cattle and pigs. Some people even fortify food products with insects; tortillas made with yellow mealworms in Mexico provide one such example. The winning entry in the IFT Developing Solutions for Developing Countries competition held during the 2009 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo was a cereal product made with sorghum enriched with termite protein. It is also argued that the rich content of micronutrients in insects could make them a source in helping to combat nutritional deficiencies like anemia.

As the world’s population increases, it places greater demand on resources like land, water, and energy. Researchers are positioning insects as a renewable, sustainable food source and cite a number of advantages in the report such as the fact that insects produce few greenhouse gasses and little ammonia, require far less water and feed than livestock, can be raised on manure and compost, and have a low risk of causing zoonotic infections. To this last point, the article “Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review,” published in the May 2013 issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, cites many benefits of entomophagy but also cautions that some insects could cause allergic reactions or transmit pathogens.

While millions of people around the world are eating insects, most in westernized nations are quite repulsed at this notion. Researchers with Nordic Food Lab (which was founded by René Redzepi and Claus Meyer, the world-renowned chefs behind the critically acclaimed restaurant Noma) and University of Copenhagen have embarked on a project to change this impression. More specifically, the project, which began in June 2013, brings together chefs, food product developers, and scientists to focus on the aspect of deliciousness and, as Michael Bom Frøst, Director of Nordic Food Lab, says, to elevate insects as  “celebrated ingredients with high gastronomic value.”

Karen Nachay,
Associate Editor
[email protected]