Protein from insects—a new biosphere of opportunity

Edible insects have been proposed as high-value alternative protein sources for the future, exhibiting high-quality nutrient compositions along with potentially health-promoting constituents. Traditionally, insects are consumed in many parts of the world by some 2 billion people worldwide with more than 2100 insect species in the world known to be edible. Edible insects have been identified as an important protein source, with a protein content that can reach a value of 77% on a dry basis, depending on the species. Traditional consumption of insects predominantly relies on collection from their natural habitat. However, with an increasing demand for insect products, commercial rearing of insects is needed to ensure steady supplies and quality. In principle, insects can be reared on food waste or low-value substrates, which provides an attractive key for bringing the losses back to the food chain. Insects offer good food conversion ratios and require significantly fewer inputs in the form of land, fresh water and feed compared to traditional livestock systems. However, optimization of insect rearing broadly depends on the composition and consistency of insect feed, selection of insect species, technological parameters of rearing and regulatory guidelines.