Nutritional Composition of Edible Insects Consumed in Africa: A Systematic Review

Edible insects are an important protein rich natural resource that can contribute to resilient food security. Edible insects not only play an important role in traditional diets, but are also an excellent source of protein in traditional dishes in Africa. We systematically searched Web-of-Science and Google Scholar from year 2000–2019 for studies on the consumption of insects and their nutritional composition in Africa, resulting in 98 eligible papers, listing 212 edible insect species from eight orders. These insects were rich in protein, fats, and fibre. The highest protein content was reported for Lepidoptera (range: 20–80%). Coleoptera had the highest carbohydrate content (7–54%), while Lepidoptera had the highest fat content (10–50%). Considering the excellent source of nutrition, and potential socio-economic benefits, from edible insects, they can contribute strongly to improved food security, and rural development in developing countries. In addition, edible insects can be used as a sustainable food source to combat food shortages in the future, for example, providing resilience during times of drought or other climate stressors.

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Fermented Edible Insects for Promoting Food Security in Africa

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11050283 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 283 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yusuf Olamide Kewuyemi ◽

Hema Kesa ◽

Chiemela Enyinnaya Chinma ◽

Oluwafemi Ayodeji Adebo

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Value Added ◽

Nutritional Composition ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Fermented Foods ◽

Edible Insects ◽

Edible Insect ◽

Product Acceptability ◽

Therapeutic Properties ◽

Sub Saharan

Efforts to attain sustainable nutritional diets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still below par. The continent is envisaged to face more impending food crises. This review presents an overview of common edible insects in Africa, their nutritional composition, health benefits and utilization in connection with fermentation to enrich the inherent composition of insect-based products and offer foods related to existing and generally preferred culinary practice. Attempts to explore fermentation treatments involving insects showed fermentation affected secondary metabolites to induce antimicrobial, nutritional and therapeutic properties. Available value-added fermented edible insect products like paste, powder, sauces, and insect containing fermented foods have been developed with potential for more. Novel fermented edible insect-based products could effectively fit in the continent’s food mix and therefore mitigate ongoing food insecurity, as well as to balance nutrition with health risk concerns limiting edible insects’ product acceptability in SSA.

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Pemberdayaan Perempuan Melalui Program Kawasan Rumah Pangan Lestari (KRPL) Sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Potensi Sumber Pangan (Studi Pada Kelompok Wanita Tani di Kota Bandar Lampung)

Administrativa: Jurnal Birokrasi, Kebijakan dan Pelayanan Publik ◽

10.23960/administrativa.v2i3.43 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 281-291

Author(s):

Anita Pratiwi ◽

◽

Novita Tresiana ◽

Ita Prihantika ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Women Farmers ◽

High Price ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Development Potential ◽

Food Shortages ◽

Food Needs ◽

House Area ◽

Potential Food ◽

Food Potential

Food shortages is an issue that has imposes the community because it has to get food needs at a high price. To overcome the food shortages, every country needs to do the development potential food security to ensure the availability of sufficient, nutritious, and balanced food potential. The fulfillment of food can be done by utilizing the potential of existing land through the Sustainable Food House Area Program (KRPL). This study attempted to know groups of women farmers’ empowerment success through the Sustainable Food House Area Program and to know the supporting factors and inhibitory factors in the implementation of the Sustainable Food House Area Program.

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Investigating edible insects as a sustainable food source: nutritional value, techno-functional and physiological properties

Food & Function ◽

10.1039/d0fo03291c ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yolanda Aguilera ◽

Irene Pastrana ◽

Miguel Rebollo-Hernanz ◽

Vanesa Benitez ◽

Gerardo Alvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Value ◽

Food Source ◽

Nutritional Composition ◽

Insect Species ◽

Edible Insects ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Physiological Properties

This work aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition, techno-functional, and in vitro physiological properties of flours from six different insect species and the sensorial feasibility of including them in a...

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Edible insects: Alternative protein for sustainable food and nutritional security

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/883/1/012029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 883 (1) ◽

pp. 012029

Author(s):

H C D Tuhumury

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Edible Insects ◽

Food Groups ◽

Protein Food ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Nutritional Security ◽

Alternative Protein ◽

Nutritional Needs ◽

Food And Nutritional Security

Abstract Any food systems applied has to ensure that the food is secure for the people. Nutritional needs are considered integral to the food security concept and sustainability is also important. One of the nutritional needs in food is protein. Proteins mostly obtained from animal-based sources such as meat and fish, plant-based proteins, particularly legumes. However, the production of meat, more importantly ruminant meat is more and more argued for some issues including environment, food safety, and animal welfare. In order to ensure sustainable protein production, the dietary change would be to use alternative protein sources such as insects. In general, insects have high protein content and excellent production efficiency compared with other conventional protein food groups. It is necessarily important to develop the use of insects in various forms, including pastes or powders, concentrates or isolates which can be used further as ingredients or fortified agents in new food product formulations. This paper therefore explores the feature of edible insects as sustainable and viable food source that can contribute to food security including, types of edible insects as food and their nutritional compositions; and processing of edible insects. In conclusion, insects can contribute to sustainable food and nutritional security and be a part of the solution to protein shortages. Insect protein concentrates could potentially be an alternative protein source in food formulation.

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Design of a Food Waste Management Program in Reducing Urban Food Waste

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability - Handbook of Research on Institution Development for Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth in Africa ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4817-2.ch019 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 318-336

Author(s):

Olubunmi Racheal Ajayi ◽

Scott R. Baum ◽

Cordia Chu

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Waste Management ◽

San Francisco ◽

Food Waste ◽

Food Systems ◽

Success Factors ◽

Management Program ◽

Sustainable Food Systems ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Food Shortages

Sustainable food systems can contribute to addressing food security, poverty alleviation, and economic growth. With 870 million people around the world being undernourished, and food shortages exacerbated by climate change, the United Nations, in 2013, made food security a priority. This study aimed to develop a food waste reduction program model to assist with designing and delivering effective responses in relevant institutions. This study conducted desktop review of literature, detailing proven practices in food waste management systems and synthesised key success factors. Three cases, from San Francisco, Taiwan, and South Korea, were chosen for further analysis because they have a proven track record of success. The study also proposes a program for designing, implementing, and evaluating future food waste management programs. The findings have identified significant policy opportunities for food waste management strategies and have provided an opportunity to develop food waste guidelines as many work towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste.

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Edible Insects and Global Food Security

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12050472 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 472

Author(s):

Fabio Verneau ◽

Mario Amato ◽

Francesco La La Barbera

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Central America ◽

Mediterranean Basin ◽

Edible Insects ◽

African Continent ◽

Global Food Security ◽

The World ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Global Food ◽

The Mediterranean Basin

Starting in 2008 and lasting up until 2011, the crisis in agricultural and, in particular, cereal prices triggered a period of riots that spread from the Mediterranean basin to the rest of the world, reaching from Asia to Central America and the African continent. [...]

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No Way, That’s Gross! How Public Exposure Therapy Can Overcome Disgust Preventing Consumer Adoption of Sustainable Food Alternatives

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061380 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1380

Author(s):

Jan Andre Koch ◽

Jan Willem Bolderdijk ◽

Koert van Ittersum

Keyword(s):

Environmental Benefits ◽

Alternative Strategy ◽

Consumer Acceptance ◽

Edible Insects ◽

Consumer Adoption ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

The Social ◽

Public Exposure ◽

Main Barrier ◽

Promising Avenue

Two prominently discussed sustainable food alternatives—lab-meat and edible insects—elicit disgust among consumers, thereby preventing acceptance. While providing prospective consumers with more information on, for instance, the environmental benefits of lab-meat has shown some success in increasing consumer acceptance, we argue that the disgust response—the main barrier to the societal acceptance of these foods—is not addressed. This is, we argue, because disgust is not the result of misperceptions (e.g., edible insects carry diseases) and thus unlikely to be overcome by information alone. Building on the latest insights into the social origins of disgust, this manuscript reviews an alternative strategy to foster the broader acceptance of sustainable food alternatives that currently elicit disgust. Specifically, we explain why and how public exposure could be a promising avenue for marketers to reduce consumers’ disgust response and thus increase the acceptance of sustainable food alternatives.

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