Insects as food

Estimates of numbers of edible insect species consumed globally range from 1,000 to 2,000.[1] These species include 235 butterflies and moths, 344 beetles, 313 ants, bees and wasps, 239 grasshoppers, crickets and cockroaches, 39 termites, and 20 dragonflies, as well as cicadas.[2] Which species are consumed varies by region due to differences in environment, ecosystems, and climate.

It is estimated that more than 2 billion people eat insects daily.[3]

The table below lists the top five insect orders consumed by humans worldwide.[4]

For a list of edible insects consumed locally see: List of edible insects by country.

To increase consumer interest in Western markets such as Europe and North America, insects have been processed into a non‐recognizable form, such as powders or flour.[5] Policymakers, academics,[6] as well as large-scale insect food producers such as Entomofarms in Canada, Aspire Food Group in the United States,[7] Protifarm and Protix in the Netherlands, and Bühler Group in Switzerland, focus on seven insects species suitable for human consumption as well as industrialized mass production:[8]

• Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) as larvae
• Lesser mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus) as larvae, mostly marketed under the term buffalo worms.
• House cricket (Acheta domesticus)
• Tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)
• European migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)
• Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)
• Housefly (Musca domestica)

• 
  Freeze-dried mealworms as food (or food ingredient)
• 
  Buffalo worms as food (or ingredient)
• 
  House crickets as food (or ingredient)
• 
  Migratory locusts as food (or ingredient)

The following processed food products are produced by several producers in North America, Canada, and the EU:

• Insect flour: Pulverized, freeze-dried insects (e.g., cricket flour).
• Insect burger: Hamburger patties made from insect powder / insect flour (mainly from mealworms or from house cricket) and further ingredients.[16]
• Insect fitness bars: Protein bars containing insect powder (mostly house crickets).
• Insect pasta: Pasta made of wheat flour, fortified with insect flour (house crickets or mealworms).
• Insect bread (Finnish Sirkkaleipä): Bread baked with insect flour (mostly house crickets).[17]
• Insect snacks: Crisps, flips or small snacks (bites) made with insect powder and other ingredients.[18]

Food and drink companies such as the Australian brewery Bentspoke Brewing Co and the South-African startup Gourmet Grubb even introduced insect-based beer,[19] a milk alternative, as well as insect ice cream.[20]

• 
  Insect energy bar made with processed crickets as ingredient
• 
  Insect snacks (bites) with cultivated cricket flour and oat
• 
  Silkworm snack, Thailand
• 
  Chocolate bar with crickets

In the European Union, edible insects – whole or in parts, e.g., legs, wings, or heads – fall within the definition of novel food, given by the European Commission.[21] Dossiers for several insect species are currently under review by the European Food Safety Authority. In August 2018, EFSA published a first risk profile for the house cricket as food.[22] According to a risk assessment published by EFSA on 13 January 2021, the yellow mealworm is safe for human consumption.[23][24] On 2 July 2021, EFSA published another scientific opinion stating that migratory locust in frozen, dried or grounded state is safe for human consumption.[25] On August 17, 2021, EFSA published a safety assessment with view to house crickets (Acheta domesticus) stating that frozen and dried formulations from whole house crickets are safe for consumption.[26]

The European Commission has authorized the following edible insects as novel food in the EU:

• Dried Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworms) with the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/882 of 1 June 2021.[27] The regulation came into force 20 days after its publication on 22 June 2021.
• Frozen, dried and powdered forms of migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) with the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1975 of 12 November 2021.[28] The regulation came into force 20 days after its publication on 5 December 2021.
• Frozen, dried and powdered forms of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) with the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/188 of 10 February 2022.[29]

On 1 May 2017, Switzerland has approved the following insect species as food:[30]

• House cricket (Acheta domesticus)
• European locust (Locusta migratoria)
• Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor as larvae)

Under certain conditions, these may be offered to consumers as whole animals, pulverized, or processed in food products.

After the Brexit transition period, the regulation regarding edible insects changed in the United Kingdom on 21 January 2021, making them non-marketable without authorization. Insect food products that had been on the market had to be recalled. Insect food products have to be authorized by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in a novel food authorization process.[31][32] In February 2022, UK insect industry association Woven Network CIC submitted a first dossier for the authorization of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) as novel food to the FSA.[33]

In the USA and Canada, insects for human consumption are not classified as novel food and the import and sale is permitted. In the US, insect food products must comply with FDA standards and food labelling regulations (including allergy risk labelling).[34]

Within the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), the FDA states that “The term 'food' means (1) articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) chewing gum, and (3) articles used for components of any such article.”[35] Thus, with insects falling under said category, they must be safe and may not bear any added poisonous or added deleterious substance that is unsafe.  Said items may not be prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions, and must be produced in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), regulations for manufacturing/processing, packing, or holding human food.[36][37] The FD&C Act also includes requirements that pertain to the labeling of food and preventive controls, as applicable.  Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that the food they produce for the United States market is safe and complies with the FD&C Act and FDA’s implementing regulations.[38]

There are some potential challenges caused by production and safety concerns.

Mass production in the insect industry is a concern due to a lack of technology and funds to efficiently harvest and produce insects. The machinery would have to house proper enclosure for each life cycle of the insect as well as the temperature control as that is key for insect development.[39]

The industry also has to consider the shelf life of insects in comparison to animal products as that can have some food safety concerns. Insects have the capability of accumulating potential hazards, such as contaminants, pathogens, the concentration of heavy metals, allergens, and pesticides etc.[40]

Table below combined the data from two studies[41][42] published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and summarized the potential hazards of the top five insect species consumed by humans.

Hazards in insects that are shown above can be controlled by various ways. Allergic hazard can be labelled on the package to avoid consumption by allergy susceptible consumers. Selective farming can be used to minimize chemical hazard, whereas microbial and parasitical hazard can be controlled by cooking processes.[43]