Nachtigall Lukas, Grune Tilman, Weber Daniela
Department of Molecular Toxicology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
ProtinA (Joint BMEL Project DIfE/ATB), German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
Nutrients. 2025 Apr 2;17(7):1245. doi: 10.3390/nu17071245.
The scientific interest in edible insects as an alternative source of high-value protein for the human diet has increased drastically over the last decade. Edible insects harbour enormous potential in terms of planetary health. Their lower water and land use, lower feed conversion ratios, and overall lower global warming potential paired with a high nutritional value compared with conventional livestock are key drivers towards an environmentally sustainable diet. However, low consumer acceptance, as well as regulatory challenges, have slowed down the success of edible insects in Western countries, despite edible insects being consumed regularly all over the world. To date, four edible insect species have been approved as novel foods in the European Union-namely yellow mealworm (), migratory locust (), house cricket (), and lesser mealworm (). Depending on the species, they have a high protein content (48-67%), with a beneficial indispensable amino acid profile, high fat content (21-39%), with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids based on the dry matter, and contain reasonable amounts of minerals and vitamins. Unlike other animal-based foods, edible insects contain dietary fibre. Data on the bioavailability of nutrients in humans are scarce. Although numerous publications have investigated the nutritional profiles, environmental impacts, and future perspectives of edible insects, here, those findings are reviewed critically, as some publications were partially contradictory or related to selected species only. In this narrative review, we emphasise that edible insects could play a key role in a changing world with a steadily increasing demand for nutritionally valuable food and the depletion of natural resources.
在过去十年中，将可食用昆虫作为人类饮食中高价值蛋白质替代来源的科学兴趣急剧增加。可食用昆虫在地球健康方面具有巨大潜力。与传统牲畜相比，它们用水量和土地使用量更低，饲料转化率更低，全球变暖潜力总体更低，同时营养价值高，这些都是实现环境可持续饮食的关键驱动因素。然而，尽管可食用昆虫在世界各地都有被定期食用，但消费者接受度低以及监管挑战减缓了其在西方国家的推广。迄今为止，四种可食用昆虫物种已在欧盟被批准为新型食品，即黄粉虫、飞蝗、家蟋蟀和小粉虫。根据物种不同，它们蛋白质含量高（48 - 67%），具有有益的必需氨基酸谱，脂肪含量高（21 - 39%），基于干物质的不饱和脂肪酸含量高，并且含有适量的矿物质和维生素。与其他动物性食品不同，可食用昆虫含有膳食纤维。关于人类营养物质生物利用度的数据很少。尽管有大量出版物研究了可食用昆虫的营养成分、环境影响和未来前景，但在这里，对这些发现进行了批判性回顾，因为一些出版物部分相互矛盾或仅与特定物种相关。在这篇叙述性综述中，我们强调，在一个对营养丰富的食物需求不断增加且自然资源日益枯竭的不断变化的世界中，可食用昆虫可能发挥关键作用。
