Evaluation of Edible Insects in terms of Sustainable Nutrition and Health

Abstract

In parallel with the increase in the human population, the demand for food has also increased, which has made the problems of malnutrition and the search for new food sources important, especially in underdeveloped countries today. The global increase in food demand and the limited land area available have led to the search for alternative protein sources. As a result of this search; In the future, entomophagy as an alternative food source has received serious attention. The potential use of insects as a new food source has many environmental and nutritional advantages and is seen as a sustainable source of animal protein. Edible insects have approximately the same protein content as conventional meat and contain higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and various vitamins and minerals. The findings of various in vitro and in vivo animal studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of entomophagy in the prevention of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and non-communicable diseases, as well as in immune functions and carcinogenesis. Despite the many positive effects of insects, there are potential food safety hazards. Moreover; in countries where insect consumption is not traditional, there is a lack of acceptance and skill in preparing food with insects. For this reason, a number of strategies have been proposed to encourage insect consumption. It is pointed out by the World Food and Agriculture Organization that increasing the consumption of edible insects under safe conditions can positively affect the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in the world. With this; there is a need for high-quality clinical studies evaluating the efficacy, oral safety and allergy risk of this alternative food source and the development of consumption standards through authorities. The aim of this review is to evaluate entomophagy as an alternative food source in terms of sustainable nutrition and health.

Keywords

• Entomophagy
• Edible insects
• Nutrition
• Sustainability
• Alternative protein source

Yenilebilir Böceklerin Sürdürülebilir Beslenme ve Sağlık Açısından Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Günümüzde insan nüfusunun artmasına paralel olarak gıda talebi artmış, bu durum az gelişmiş ülkeler başta olmak üzere yetersiz beslenme sorunlarına neden olmuştur. Gıda talebindeki küresel artış ve mevcut sınırlı arazi alanı, alternatif protein kaynakları arayışına yol açmıştır. Bu durumda alternatif bir gıda kaynağı olarak entomofajiye olan ilgi artmıştır. Yeni bir gıda kaynağı olarak böceklerin potansiyel kullanımı, sürdürülebilirlik ve besinsel avantajlara sahiptir. Yenilebilir böcekler, geleneksel et ile yaklaşık olarak aynı protein içeriğine sahip olup daha yüksek seviyelerde çoklu doymamış yağ asitleri ile çeşitli vitamin ve mineralleri içermektedir. Çeşitli hayvan çalışmaların bulguları, entomofajinin kardiyovasküler, gastrointestinal ve diğer bulaşıcı olmayan hastalıkları önlemenin yanı sıra bağışıklık fonksiyonları ve karsinogenez açısından yararlı etkilerini ortaya koymuştur. Böceklerin birçok olumlu etkilerine rağmen potansiyel gıda güvenliği tehlikeleri de bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca; böcek tüketiminin yaygın olmadığı ülkelerde, böceklerle yemek hazırlama konusunda kabul ve beceri eksikliği görülmektedir. Bu sebeple böcek tüketimini teşvik etmek için bir dizi stratejiler önerilmektedir. Gıda Tarım Örgütü tarafından, güvenli koşullarda, yenilebilir böceklerin tüketiminin arttırılmasının, doğal çevreyi olumlu yönde etkileyebileceği ve dünyadaki yetersiz beslenme sorununu azaltabileceğine dikkat çekilmektedir. Bununla birlikte bu alternatif gıda kaynağının etkinliğini, oral alım güvenliğini ve alerji riskini değerlendiren yüksek kaliteli klinik çalışmalara ve otoriteler aracılığıyla tüketim standartlarının geliştirilmesine ihtiyaç vardır. Bu derlemenin amacı, entomofajinin altenatif bir gıda kaynağı olarak sürdürülebilir beslenme ve sağlık açısından değerlendirilmesidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Entomofaji
• Yenilebilir böcekler
• Beslenme
• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Alternatif protein kaynağı

Kaynakça

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