Nutritional composition of edible wood borer beetle larvae in Kenya.

Exploration of edible insects as sustainable alternative nutrient-dense sources such as nutraceuticals have attracted more and more global attention recently. However, research on wood borer beetles have largely been overlooked. This study assessed the entomo-chemical properties of Titoceres jaspideus (Cerambycidae) and Passalus punctiger (Passalidae), which are widely consumed in many African countries, including Kenya. The crude protein content of the beetle larvae ranged between 27.5-39.8 mg BSA/g. In comparison with those of cereals, amino acids such as lysine (7.9-9.9 mg/g), methionine (0.48-0.64 mg/g) and threonine (2.31-2.55 mg/g) were considerably high in the larvae. Methyl-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoate and methyl-9Z-octadecenoate were the predominant polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively. High total phenols (>4.4 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (>3.6 mg QE/g) and anti-oxidative activities (>67%) were recorded for both larvae. This implies that increasing the consumption of wood-borer beetle larvae would positively impact the state of the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in the society. Thus, applying these strategies to develop insect food in a more familiar form can help to make insect-enriched foods more appealing to consumers, facilitating their widespread adoption as a sustainable and nutritious food source.

Consumers of insect-based foods: a cross-cultural study between Belgium and Gabon.

Human consumption of insects has previously been examined in cross-cultural studies. However, such studies rarely include African countries and willingness-to-pay for insect-based food has never been assessed in cross-cultural studies. The current study presents a cross-cultural study conducted with 409 urban dwellers from Belgium (191 males; 218 females) and 412 urban dwellers from Gabon (219 males; 193 females). Each respondent was surveyed with a questionnaire following the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices model and included questions relative to willingness-to-pay for 2 insect-based foods (insect baguette and insect burger). More than 90% of respondents from both countries were familiar with edible insects. However, acceptance of entomophagy was lower in respondents from Gabon than in respondents from Belgium. Intercultural differences were also recorded between Gabonese ethnic groups. Most respondents who accepted entomophagy were willing to eat the insect baguette and/or the insect burger. These findings confirm that entomophagy could further develop in Belgium and Gabon. Willingness-to-pay varied between countries and between insect-based foods. In Belgium, the average prices of comparable conventional foods (i.e., same foods but without insects) were lower than the average willingness-to-pay for insect-based foods. In Gabon, respondents were not willing to pay extra for insect-based foods. Setting the right price for insect-based foods is a necessary step to promote more frequent insect consumption.

Edible insects as a novel source of lecithin: Extraction and lipid characterization of black soldier fly larvae and yellow mealworm.

Edible insects with high fat and phosphorus content are a potential novel source of lecithin, however, studies on their minor lipids are limited. In this study, lecithin was extracted from black soldier fly larvae and yellow mealworm. Herein, the effects of lecithin extraction method, matrix and ultrasound pretreatment were explored based on the fatty acid composition and phospholipid profile with soy lecithin as a reference. The use of a wet matrix and ultrasound pretreatment increased the extraction efficiency of total PLs from both insects. Insect lecithin contained a considerable amount of sphingomyelin compared to soy lecithin. In insect lecithin, a total of 47 glycerophospholipid and sphingomyelin molecular species, as well as four molecular species of fatty acyl esters of hydroxy fatty acid, were detected. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of insects as a new source of lecithin with applications in food, cosmetics and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Analysis of Microbial Composition of Edible Insect Products Available for Human Consumption within the United States Using Traditional Microbiological Methods and Whole Genome Sequencing.

Edible insects offer a promising protein source for humans, but their food safety risks have not been previously investigated within the United States. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the microbial content of processed edible insect products. A total of eight different types of edible insect products, including diving beetles, silkworms, grasshoppers, Jamaican crickets, mealworms, mole crickets, whole roasted crickets, and 100% pure cricket powder, were purchased from a large online retailer for the analysis. All the products were purchased in August 2022 and examined between August 2022 and November 2022. Traditional microbiological methods were employed to determine microbial counts for each product type using three replicates (total number of samples = 24). This included assessing aerobic bacterial spore, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, total viable counts, and the presence of Salmonella. Additionally, whole genome sequencing was employed to further characterize selected colonies (n = 96). Microbial counts data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, while sequence data were taxonomically classified using Sepia.Bacilluscereusgroup isolates underwent additional characterization with Btyper3. Product type significantly influenced total viable counts, bacterial spore counts, and lactic acid bacteria counts (P = 0.00391, P = 0.0065, and P < 0.001, respectively), with counts ranging from < 1.70 to 6.01 Log10 CFU/g, <1.70 to 5.25 Log10 CFU/g, and < 1.70 to 4.86 Log10 CFU/g, respectively. Enterobacteriaceae were only detected in mole crickets (<2.30 Log10 CFU/g) and house cricket powder (<2.15 Log10 CFU/g). All samples were negative for Salmonella. Whole genome sequencing revealed the presence of 12 different bacterial genera among the analyzed isolates, with a majority belonging to the Bacillus genus. Some of the isolates of Bacillus cereus group were identified as biovar Emeticus. Overall, although edible insects offer a promising food alternative, the presence of Bacillus cereus group in some products could raise concerns regarding food safety.

Molecular Characterization of the Allergenic Arginine Kinase from the Edible Insect Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly).

SCOPE: Arginine kinase (AK) is an important enzyme for energy metabolism of invertebrate cells by participating in the maintenance of constant levels of ATP. However, AK is also recognized as a major allergen in insects and crustaceans capable of cross-reactivity with sera of patients sensitized to orthologous proteins. In the perspective of introducing insects or their derivatives in the human diet in Western world, it is of primary importance to evaluate possible risks for allergic consumers. METHODS AND RESULTS: This work reports the identification and characterization of AK from Hermetia illucens commonly known as the black soldier fly, a promising insect for human consumption. To evaluate allergenicity of AK from H. illucens, putative linear and conformational epitopes are identified by bioinformatics analyses, and Dot-Blot assays are carried out by using sera of patients allergic to shrimp or mites to validate the cross-reactivity. Gastrointestinal digestion reduces significantly the linear epitopes resulting in lower allergenicity, while the secondary structure is altered at increasing temperatures supporting the possible loss or reduction of conformational epitopes. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the possible allergenicity of AK should be taken in consideration when dealing with novel foods containing H. illucens or its derivatives.

Assessing the impact of insect protein sources on intestinal health and disease: insights from human ex vivo and rat in vivo models.

The exploration of edible insects, specifically Alphitobius diaperinus and Tenebrio molitor, as sustainable sources of protein for human consumption is an emerging field. However, research into their effects on intestinal health, especially in relation to inflammation and permeability, remains limited. Using ex vivo and in vivo models of intestinal health and disease, in this study we assess the impact of the above insects on intestinal function by focusing on inflammation, barrier dysfunction and morphological changes. Initially, human intestinal explants were exposed to in vitro-digested extracts of these insects, almond and beef. Immune secretome analysis showed that the inflammatory response to insect-treated samples was comparatively lower than it was for samples exposed to almond and beef. Animal studies using yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and buffalo (Alphitobius diaperinus) flours were then used to evaluate their safety in healthy rats and LPS-induced intestinal dysfunction rats. Chronic administration of these insect-derived flours showed no adverse effects on behavior, metabolism, intestinal morphology or immune response (such as inflammation or allergy markers) in healthy Wistar rats. Notably, in rats subjected to proinflammatory LPS-induced intestinal dysfunction, T. molitor consumption did not exacerbate symptoms, nor did it increase allergic responses. These findings validate the safety of these edible insects under healthy conditions, demonstrate their innocuity in a model of intestinal dysfunction, and underscore their promise as sustainable and nutritionally valuable dietary protein sources.

Recent advances in edible insect processing technologies.

Alternative foods have emerged as one of the hot research topics aiming at alleviating food shortage. Insects are one of the alternative foods due to their rich nutrients. Processing is a critical step to develop insect foods, while there is a lack of comprehensive reviews to summarize the main studies. This review aims to demonstrate different processing methods in terms of their impact on insect nutrition and their potential risks. Heat treatments such as boiling and blanching show a negative effect on insect nutrition, but essential to assure food safety. Insects treated by high-pressure hydrostatic technology (HPP) and cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) can achieve a similar sterilization effect but retain the nutritional and sensory properties. Drying is a practical processing method for industrial insect production, where oven drying serves as a cost-effective method yielding products comparable in quality to freeze-dried ones. In terms of extraction technology, supercritical carbon dioxide and ultrasound-assisted technology can improve the extraction efficiency of proteins and lipids from insects, enhance the production of composite insect-fortified foods, and thus facilitate the development of the insect food industry. To address the widespread negative perceptions and low acceptance towards insect foods among consumers, the primary development direction of the insect food industry may involve creating composite fortified foods and extracting insect-based food components.

Understanding consumers attitude towards insects as food: Influence of insect species on liking, emotions, sensory perception and food pairing.

Entomophagy studies mainly focused on insects as a generic category, rarely considering insect species. This study investigated the: i) affective response to specific edible insect species; ii) sensory properties characterizing the tested insects and their role in driving preferences and food paring. A sensory test (85 consumers, 56.5 % female, 19-73 years) was performed on seven dried whole edible insects at the adult (weaver ants, crickets, grasshoppers), larva (bamboo worms, morio worms, sago worms) and pupae stage (silkworms). For each species, consumers expressed their liking and, through three check-all-that-apply tests, described the perceived sensory properties, the perceived emotions, and their potential food pairings. Results showed a significant effect of the species on all variables. Bamboo worms, weaver ants and grasshoppers resulted the most accepted, followed by morio worms, crickets, and silkworms, while the sago worms were the most disliked. Numerous sensory attributes significantly discriminated among insect species and the drivers of liking and sensory attributes associated to the food pairings were identified. However, two clusters with different preferences and drivers of liking were observed. Moreover, a gender effect was found: i) males associated insects with emotions like calm and wild, while females with glad and pleased; ii) males and females would pair different foods with the insect species. In conclusion, this study provided new knowledge useful for researchers and food industry to develop future insect-based foods and dishes able to meet the expectations of different consumers segments.

Edible insects as a source of biopeptides and their role in immunonutrition.

Many edible insect species are attracting the attention of the food industry and consumers in Western societies due to their high content and quality of protein, and consequently, the potential to be used as a more environmentally friendly dietary source could be beneficial for humans. On the other hand, prevention of inflammatory diseases using nutritional interventions is currently being proposed as a sustainable and cost-effective strategy to improve people's health. In this regard, finding bioactive compounds such as peptides with anti-inflammatory properties from sustainable sources (e.g., edible insects) is one area of particular interest, which might have a relevant role in immunonutrition. This review aims to summarize the recent literature on the discovery of immunomodulatory peptides through in vitro studies from edible insects, as well as to describe cell-based assays aiming to prove their bioactivity. On top of that, in vivo studies (i.e., animal and human), although scarce, have been mentioned in relation to the topic. In addition, the challenges and future perspectives related to edible-insect peptides and their role in immunonutrition are discussed. The amount of literature aiming to demonstrate the potential immunomodulatory activity of edible-insect peptides is scarce but promising. Different approaches have been employed, especially cell assays and animal studies employing insect meal as supplementation in the diet. Insects such as Tenebrio molitor or Gryllodes sigillatus are some of the most studied and have demonstrated to contain bioactive peptides. Further investigations, mostly with humans, are needed in order to clearly state that peptides from edible insects may contribute to the modulation of the immune system.

Ethno-entomotherapeutic and metabolite profiling of Coridius chinensis (Dallas), a traditional edible insect species of North-East India.

Edible insects possess several health enhancing properties and play an important role in human nutrition. Coridius chinensis is an edible insect that is considered food and claimed as traditional medicine. In the present study, nutritional contents, chemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of C. chinensis were analyzed. It was found that the insect sample contains 50.46% moisture, 44.65% protein, 4.45% carbohydrate, 39.42% crude fats, 3.53% ash and 576.11 (Kcal/100 g) energy. Our study highlighted the presence of a significant amount of phenol and flavonoids. The C. chinensis hydro-alcoholic extract showed high antioxidant property and anti-inflammatory activity. GCMS analysis identified 61 volatile compounds. LC-MS analysis of hydroalcoholic extract of C. chinensis revealed the presence of compounds such as etodolac glucuronide, morphine 3-glucuronide, ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, sufentanil, and palmitoyl ethanololamide. These findings suggest that C. chinensis species can be employed as a valuable food source with excellent therapeutic properties.

Should we provide edible insects in children's diets?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Diets low in animal-source foods or solely consisting of plant-based foods, hardly meet nutrition needs of children, exposing them to inadequate intake of essential nutrients. Thus, including edible insects in children's diets is relevant for meeting nutritional requirements, other potential health benefits, and building more sustainable food systems. Nutrition and health research on insects is novel and still limited. This review covers recently published research between April 2022 and November 2023 focusing on the relevance of including insects in children's diets. RECENT FINDINGS: Insects provide protein, fat and micronutrients, and are generally nutritionally equivalent to animal-source foods. The protein and fat quality of edible insects varies depending on several factors. Insects also contain chitin which could potentially be beneficial for gut health. For insects to be considered suitable for inclusion in children's diet, they must be accepted. However, children who are unfamiliar with insects respond to them with curiosity and disgust. SUMMARY: Insect farming can enhance their availability and consumption, potentially addressing nutrition gaps. Furthermore, transitioning from occasional to regular insect consumption requires actual exposure and integration into diets of insects. To affirm the nutrition and health potential of edible insects for children, well designed human studies are essential.

Edible insects in food.

Edible insects, with their high protein and lipid content, offer a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional protein sources. They are environmentally friendly, emitting fewer greenhouse gases and requiring less water than livestock farming. Their rapid reproduction, efficiency, and labor-saving qualities make them attractive for industry. However, the unappealing appearance of edible insects hinders consumer acceptance. To overcome this, materialization technologies should be developed, and negative perceptions addressed with objective data. Promoting the nutritional value, safe rearing, disease prevention, and cost-efficiency of edible insects can boost consumer interest. Commercializing various insect products is crucial to revitalize their integration into the food industry.

Proximate and fatty acid profile analysis of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio using different killing methods.

The present work aimed to quantify the macronutrients and the fatty acid (FA) profile in different killing methods, blanching (BC) and freezing (FR), on edible insects of the speciesTenebrio molitor(TM) andZophobas morio(ZM). Concerning macronutrients TM-BC and TM-FR presented 51.2% and 50.6% of protein, 28% and 29.4% of lipids, and 12.4% and 11.4%. Meanwhile, ZM-BC and ZM-FR expressed 42.8% and 43.7% of protein, 39.1% and 40.1% of lipids, and 10.7% and 8.9% of carbohydrates. The FA of TM and ZM shows respectively values of Saturated Fatty Acids (∑SFA) 30% - 45%, Monounsaturated (MUFA) 47% - 32%, Polyunsaturated (∑PUFA) 23% - 22%, Atherogenicity Index (AI) 0.64 - 0.75, Thrombogenicity Index (TI) 0.77 - 1.44 and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic index (h/H) of 2.50-1.51. Based on the results obtained, the slaughter methods showed statistically differences in relation to MUFA's in TM, and ZM larvae only in the minority fraction of FA.

The global atlas of edible insects: analysis of diversity and commonality contributing to food systems and sustainability.

The future of the food system on the planet is increasingly facing uncertainties that are attributable to population growth and a surge in demand for nutritious food. Traditional agricultural practices are poised to place strain on production, as well as natural resources and ecosystem services provided, particularly under a changing climate. Given their remarkable attributes, including a low environmental footprint, high food conversion ratio, rapid growth and nutritional values, edible insects can play a vital role in the global food system. Nonetheless, substantial knowledge gaps persist regarding their diversity, global distribution, and shared characteristics across regions, potentially impeding effective scaling and access to edible insects. Therefore, we compiled and analysed the fragmented database on edible insects and identified potential drivers that elucidate insect consumption, globally, focusing on promoting a sustainable food system. We collated data from various sources, including the literature for a list of edible insect species, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and iNaturalist for the geographical presence of edible insects, the Copernicus Land Service library for Global Land Cover, and FAOSTAT for population, income, and nutritional security parameters. Subsequently, we performed a series of analytics at the country, regional and continental levels. Our study identifies 2205 insect species, consumed across 128 countries globally. Among continents, Asia has the highest number of edible insects (932 species), followed by North America (mainly Mexico) and Africa. The countries with the highest consumption of insects are Mexico (450 species), Thailand (272 species), India (262 species), DRC (255 species), China (235 species), Brazil (140 species), Japan (123 species), and Cameroon (100 species). Our study also revealed some common and specific practices related to edible insect access and utilisation among countries and regions. Although insect consumption is often rooted in cultural practices, it exhibits correlations with land cover, the geographical presence of potentially edible insects, the size of a country's population, and income levels. The practice of eating insects is linked to the culture of people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while increased consciousness and the need for food sustainability are driving most of the European countries to evaluate eating insects. Therefore, edible insects are becoming an increasingly significant part of the future of planetary food systems. Therefore, more proactive efforts are required to promote them for their effective contribution to achieving sustainable food production.

Vitamin D fortification of selected edible insect species through UVB-treatment.

Edible insects are attracting increased interest worldwide, because they are arguably more sustainable than more established animal foods. Apart from being rich in protein and minerals, they can also form vitamin D3 after treatment with UVB light (290-315 nm). However, only limited research, which has almost exclusively been conducted on living insects, reared under UVB lamps, has been done in this regard. As research on mushrooms has shown, that vitamin D formation is much more effective and less time consuming, when a previously sliced or ground product is treated with UVB light, it would likely be more practical to treat powdered insects with UVB light, rather than rearing them under UVB lamps. Therefore, the aim of this work was to confirm the presence of vitamin D3 in powdered UVB-treated yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria) and two-spotted crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) as well as to subsequently quantify potential vitamin D content. Samples were analyzed via HPLC, and presence of vitamin D3 was verified via standard addition and spectrum analysis. UVB-treated migratory locusts and two-spotted crickets did not contain quantifiable amounts of vitamin D3. However, UVB-treated mealworms showed substantial amounts of vitamin D3 (8.95-18.24 µg/g dry matter). Thus, the UVB-treatment of powdered mealworm is an effective approach via which to enhance their vitamin D3 content and even modest serving sizes can supply the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.

Stable isotope ratios and current-use pesticide levels in edible insects: Implications on chemical food safety.

In the past years, the European Union (EU) has added edible insects to the list of novel foods, allowing an increasing number of insect-based products into the European market. With insects gaining more popularity in the Western world, it is crucial to investigate their chemical food safety. This study aimed at investigating possible isotopic patterns in different edible insect species (n = 52) from Asia, Africa and Europe using stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) to provide a framework for future investigations on food authenticity and traceability. Additionally, complementary mass-spectrometric screening approaches were applied to gain a comprehensive overview of contamination levels of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in edible insects, to assess their chemical food safety. SIRA revealed significant differences between countries in δ13CVPDB- (p < 0.001) and δ15Nair- (p < 0.001) values. While it was not possible to distinguish between individual countries using principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminative analysis (LDA), the latter could be used to distinguish between larger geographical areas (i.e. Africa, Europe and Asia). In general, African samples had a more distinct isotopic profile compared to European and Asian samples. When comparing the isotopic compositions of samples containing pesticides with samples with no detected pesticides, differences in sulphur compositions could be observed. Additionally, LDA was able to correctly classify the presence of pesticides in a sample with 76% correct classification based on the sulphur composition. These findings show that SIRA could be a useful tool to provide a framework for future investigations on food authenticity and traceability of edible insects. A total of 26 CUPs were detected using suspect screening and an additional 30 CUPS were quantified using target analysis, out of which 9 compounds had a detection frequency higher than 30%. Most detected pesticides were below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for meat, suggesting low contamination levels. However, dichlorvos and fipronil could be detected in the same order of magnitude as the MRLs, even in samples purchased in Europe. These findings indicate a limited chemical risk for edible insects regarding pesticide contamination. Nevertheless, the study also highlights that further and more extensive investigations are needed to give a comprehensive assessment of the chemical risk of edible insects as a novel food source in Europe. With insects recently being potentially more incorporated into daily diets, more attention should be paid to possible chemical hazards to accurately assess their risk and to ensure food safety.

Consumption of edible insects and insect-based foods: A systematic review of sensory properties and evoked emotional response.

Low consumer acceptance of edible insects and insect-based products is one of the main barriers to the successful implementation of entomophagy in Western countries. This rejection is mainly caused by consumers' negative emotional responses, psychological/personality traits, and attitudes toward food choices. However, as the role of intrinsic product characteristics on such food choices has not been adequately studied, a systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA method, to analyze studies that have assessed hedonic evaluations, sensory profiling, or emotional responses to edible insects or insect-based products. The majority of studies performed with whole insects and insect flour highlight that insect-based products are more negatively evaluated than control products. Although the sensory properties of insects are affected by species and processing conditions, they are generally negative across sensory dimensions. In particular, insects and insect-based products are generally associated with odor and flavor/taste attributes that are related to old/spoiled food. These negative attributes can be linked to the fat fraction of edible insects, with insect oils being very negatively evaluated by consumers. On the other hand, defatted fractions and deodorized oils are not associated with these negative attributes, further supporting the hypothesis that the fat fraction is responsible for the negative odor and flavor/taste attributes. However, there is still a lack of studies assessing the sensory profile of edible insects and insect-based products, as well as consumers' emotional responses to their consumption. Future studies should focus on the effects of different processing conditions, products incorporating insect fractions (namely protein concentrates/isolates and defatted fractions), and evaluation by target consumer groups.

A systematic review on the occurrence of Salmonella in farmed Tenebrio molitor and Acheta domesticus or their derived products.

Insects represent a sustainable and protein-rich food source. This new supply chain requires the study and monitoring of pathogens' presence and impact, as for other farmed animals. Among pathogens, Salmonella is of interest due to the well-established possibility for insects to harbor it. Since Acheta domesticus (cricket) and Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) are the most sold and farmed insect species, the present systematic review aimed to collect, select, and evaluate, in the available scientific literature, studies investigating the occurrence of Salmonella in these species sampled. All available studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish were considered. No time limits were imposed. We searched PUBMED, EMBASE, WEB of Science Core Collection, and Food Science and Technology Abstracts. The first date searched was May 10th, 2022; an update of the search was conducted on May 5th, 2023. The data synthesis was presented in tables reporting the number of positives on the number of total analyzed samples with other relevant characteristics of the study. The quality assessment was carried out considering relevant aspects for sampling and the method of analysis for Salmonella detection. At the end of the screening process, 10 and nine studies conducted on crickets and mealworms, respectively, were included for data extraction. The S. serovar Wandsworth and S. serovar Stanley were isolated only in one sample of ready-to-eat crickets. A second study detected OTUs related to S. enterica in cricket and mealworm powders. No studies detected Salmonella in mealworms according to cultural methods. The limitations of the present review are that few studies were retrieved and that included studies had important limitations in terms of study design as sampling was mostly based on convenience and not on a sound statistical basis. The present systematic review underlines the need to obtain reliable data about Salmonella presence in insects considering the growing market and the scaling up of existing farms. This research was funded by the Italian Ministry of Health - Ricerca Corrente IZSVe 03/21. The review protocol was published on the Systematic Reviews for Animals and Food (SYREAF) Web site (https://syreaf.org/protocols/).

Dietary and Therapeutic Benefits of Edible Insects: A Global Perspective.

Edible insects are gaining traction worldwide for research and development. This review synthesizes a large and well-established body of research literature on the high nutritional value and variety of pharmacological properties of edible insects. Positive benefits of insect-derived products include immune enhancement; gastrointestinal protection; antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory capacities; antibacterial activities; blood lipid and glucose regulation; lowering of blood pressure; and decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of these active components of edible insects in humans have received limited research attention. In addition, we discuss health risks (safety); application prospects; regulations and policies governing their production and consumption with a view to promote innovations, intraglobal trade, and economic development; and suggestions for future directions for further pharmacological functional studies. The aim is to review the current state of knowledge and research trends on edible insects as functional ingredients beneficial to the nutrition and health of humans and animals (livestock, aquatic species, and pets).