Innovative Food System
Photo: Erkki Oksanen
Insects could even be used in waste processing.
T
he sale of insects as foodstuff is now permitted in many European countries, and Finland became one of them in autumn 2017. The edible insects market is small but fast-growing: according to predictions, the value of the global market will rise from the present tens of millions to over 400 million euros in the 2020s. In addition, using insects in animal feed presents a major future opportunity. Finland is aiming to be one of the top insect economy countries in the world. Luke’s experts know what the next big steps in the industry to achieve that goal are.
1. Basic research today, not tomorrow The insect economy is still so new in Finland that lengthy basic research has not been carried out. Senior Specialist Susanne Heiska thinks it should be started immediately, so that a solid research basis can be produced as quickly as possible. “The health, nutritional and ecological effects of insects produced in Finland should be studied because we don’t yet 22
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know these about, for example, Finnish crickets. Research methods also need to be developed and standardised.” Heiska would also like to see research on the wants and needs of consumers. If there are no people who buy insect products, neither will there be any production. The insect economy will become a strong industry when it is based on scientific knowledge.”
2. Finding out what a cricket eats One clear-cut research topic is finding out exactly what insects eat. Insects are marketed as an ecological alternative, but sustainability is not self-evident. “The majority of crickets are currently being fed chicken feed, which contains imported soy and has a large ecological footprint. We need to get the insects’ nutrition into such a state that it redeems the promises of ecological sustainability”, explains Researcher Pertti Marnila. Marnila is involved in a research project investigating the use of food industry side streams in insect feed. “We’ve already tried potato protein and brewery mash, and
next we are going to test peas and carrots. The preliminary results are good”, Marnila says. In addition to being ecological, the nutrition fed to insects must obviously be nutritious as well. Nutrition affects the insects’ health, growth, protein content and offspring production.
3. Initiating selective breeding Like other animals, insects should also be selectively bred in order to pass on and preserve their best characteristics. “First we need to find out what the most important characteristics to improve in insects are”, says Senior Scientist Miika Tapio. “Selective breeding also requires research. We have to examine the methods of controlling breeding and inbreeding, for example, and determine how big a problem inbreeding is.” Mass production requires large and healthy insect populations with high levels of disease resistance. “We need a well-in-