Edible Aquatic Insects: Diversities, Nutrition, and Safety

Autor: Min Zhao, Cheng-Ye Wang, Long Sun, Zhao He, Pan-Li Yang, Huai-Jian Liao, Ying Feng
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Foods, Vol 10, Iss 12, p 3033 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2304-8158
DOI: 10.3390/foods10123033
Popis: Edible insects have great potential to be human food; among them, aquatic insects have unique characteristics and deserve special attention. Before consuming these insects, the nutrition and food safety should always be considered. In this review, we summarized the species diversity, nutrition composition, and food safety of edible aquatic insects, and also compared their distinguished characteristics with those of terrestrial insects. Generally, in contrast with the role of plant feeders that most terrestrial edible insect species play, most aquatic edible insects are carnivorous animals. Besides the differences in physiology and metabolism, there are differences in fat, fatty acid, limiting/flavor amino acid, and mineral element contents between terrestrial and aquatic insects. Furthermore, heavy metal, pesticide residue, and uric acid composition, concerning food safety, are also discussed. Combined with the nutritional characteristics of aquatic insects, it is not recommended to eat the wild resources on a large scale. For the aquatic insects with large consumption, it is better to realize the standardized cultivation before they can be safely eaten.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals