Edible Insects as Sustainable and Nutrient-Rich Food Sources: Exploring Innovations and Advancements for Future Food Practices – A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACT

The utilization of edible insects (EIs) as an alternative source of nutrients and functional foods has gained substantial recognition in recent years, opening doors to sustainable food production, improved dietary health, and unique food experiences. EIs are rich in bioactive compounds (BACs) encompassing proteins, peptides, PUFA, vitamins, and antioxidants. These BACs have a wide array of health-enhancing qualities, from antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and immune system-modulating effects. Furthermore, the potential of EIs extends to the management or mitigation of health conditions like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and malnutrition. The incorporation of EIs into food systems has evolved beyond traditional consumption, with applications in the development of functional foods, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. In this context, this critical review aims to amalgamate the most recent developments in the realm of EIs-based food products, in addition to elucidating the most efficient process intensification procedures for the extraction and recovery of these BACs. The sustainable utilization of EIs calls for a careful examination of several crucial considerations, including consumer acceptance or allergenicity. In this respect, intensified technologies have emerged to maximize the potential of BACs derived from EIs, while simultaneously enhancing their functionality, stability, and regulatory approval within the ambit of food products.

KEYWORDS:

• Edible insects
• nutrition
• bioactive compounds
• innovations
• sustainability

Acknowledgments

This study is part of the AGROALNEXT program (AGROALNEXT/2022/060 – Desarrollo y optimización de procesos innovadores y sostenibles de extracción de aceite y proteínas a partir de microalgas, insectos, residuos y subproductos agroalimentarios: Evaluación de propiedades biológicas (EXTRAOLIOPRO)). The research received support from by MCIN, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17.I1), and from the Generalitat Valenciana. Also, Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi (SMTG) and Zeynep Altintas would like to acknowledge the support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for SMTG via the Georg Forster Research Fellowship. Manuel Salgado-Ramos expresses gratitude for the post-PhD program from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), supported by the Ministry of Universities of the Spanish Government, under the “Margarita Salas - Complementaria” modality (2023-POST-21234), financed by the European Union, Next Generation EU. Juan Manuel Castagnini is beneficiary of the grant (ZA21-028) for the requalification of the Spanish university system from the Ministry of Universities of the Government of Spain, modality “Maria Zambrano”, financed by the European Union, NextGeneration EU through the project “Extraction of bioactive compounds from food matrices using innovative and sustainable technologies (EXTRABIO)”.

Disclosure statement

The authors confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication.