Food Res Int
Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Published: March 2024
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 δC- (p < 0.001) and δN- (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.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114020 | DOI Listing |
J Sci Food Agric
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand.
Background: Edible insects are used for consumption and traditional medicine due to their rich bioactive compounds. This study examined the bioactive compounds and inhibitory effects of crude extracts from Bombyx mori and Omphisa fuscidentalis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and tyrosinase. Fatty acids, including n-hexadecanoic acid and oleic acid, were identified in the extracts and evaluated for their inhibitory potential against the enzymes in vitro and in silico.
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December 2024
Research and Development Center, Insilicogen Inc., Yongin 16954, Republic of Korea.
The increasing global population and the environmental consequences of meat consumption have led to the exploration of alternative sources of protein. Edible insects have gained attention as a sustainable and nutritionally rich meat alternative. We investigated the effects of two commonly consumed insects, larva and pupa, on beneficial gut microbiota growth, using whole 16s metagenome sequencing to assess diet-associated changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Experimental Allergology and Immunology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
The European Commission authorized the use of dried yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor - TM) as a food ingredient under Regulation EU 2021/882. As TM emerges as an important allergen source, sensitization and allergy to TM in various populations need investigation. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of sensitization to TM before its introduction as a food ingredient in Poland, as well as checking the occurrence of co-sensitivity to TM and other invertebrate allergenic extracts and molecules.
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January 2025
Laboratory of Commodities and Territorial Analysis, Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via S. Angelo, Loc. Folcara, 03043 Cassino, (FR), Italy.
The potential use of edible insects as an alternative animal protein source has recently attracted a great deal of attention in Western countries. This is thanks to their numerous nutritional benefits, in particular in terms of vitamins and essential amino acids, and the need to guarantee food availability for the growing population. The aim of this scoping review is to analyse the current literature published in scientific journals regarding the main issues related to products containing edible insects, to map existing evidence and identify knowledge gaps.
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December 2024
Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
Edible insects, characterized by their eco-friendly nature and high nutrient value, are promising protein sources. Therefore, we aimed to assess the suitability of insects as source ingredients for surimi, a widely-used, intermediate food material. Mealworm ( L.
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