TABLE 3.8 Fat and Protein in Various Edible Insect Species Insect species
Common name
Life stage used
Protein
Fat
(% dry matter)
(% dry matter)
Acheta domesticus
House cricket
Adult
60–75
7–20
Gryllodes sigillatus
Banded cricket
Adult
60–75
7–20
Locusta migratoria
Migratory locust
Adult
40–60
10–25
Hermetia illucens
Black soldier fly
Larvae/pre-pupae
30–60
20–40
Tenebrio molitor
Common mealworm Larvae
45–60
25–35
Alphitobus diaperinus Lesser mealworm
Larvae
45–60
25–30
Bombyx mori
Larvae/pupae
50–70
8–10
Silkworm
Sources: Original table for this publication, using values averaged from various sources, including Rumpold and Schluter 2013; Jensen et al. 2019; Beniers and Graham 2019; Irungu et al. 2018.
Researchers are continuously discovering other applications for insect rotein. For example, in Korea, insect powder from mealworms (Tenebrio p molitor) has been tested in hospitals as a protein supplement to help patients, especially elderly patients, recover from various maladies (see photo 3.1). As a result, Korea’s MAFRA actively supports developing insect-based foods for health purposes (see photo 3.1 for examples). Insects are a source of essential nutrients. Insects provide fats and important micronutrients, especially iron and zinc, which are often deficient in foodinsecure populations (Black et al. 2013). Protein and fat contents vary among edible insect species depending on the insect’s type and development stage (Rumpold and Schluter 2013; Roos 2018). An insect’s fat content is specific to that insect’s stage of development (examples in table 3.8). These micronutrients are an important contribution to diets in Africa where these minerals are often deficient among children (Black et al. 2013; Holtz et al. 2015). Minerals from insects and animals are characterized by high iron bioavailability (Hallberg et al. 2003) and, therefore, are important in diets dominated by staple plant foods. Iron in edible insect species has been shown to be highly bioavailable in laboratory studies (Latunde-Dada, Yang, and Vera 2016). Consuming the exoskeletons of insects provides chitin, an indigestible fiber. Insect chitin may have probiotic properties that enhance healthy bacteria in digestive systems (Selenius et al. 2018; Stull et al. 2018). One study shows that adding 5 grams of dry insect protein per day to a person’s total nutrient intake could alleviate that person’s risk of nutritional deficiency of zinc, protein, folate, and vitamin B12 in Africa (Smith et al. 2021). ASF are important for combatting undernutrition. ASF include all foods that derive from animals, including fish, meat, dairy, and even insects, among many more. In food-insecure situations, households prioritize carbohydrate-rich staple foods to avoid hunger and meet dietary energy needs (Fraval et al. 2019). 80
Insect and Hydroponic Farming in Africa
