Nutritional Status of Indigenous and Traditional Edible Insects: Challenges and Limitations

Reports have shown that there is a growing interest in the consumption of edible insects as a supplementary food source in recent years. Insects generally share similar characteristics with other groups of arthropods such as arachnids, chilopods, crustaceans, and diplopods. Edible crustaceans (crabs, crayfish, lobsters, prawns, and shrimps) are all aquatic, while edible insects are mainly terrestrial with few aquatic ones. The increase in the global population is currently having negative impacts on the environment because of the increasing demand for conventional food. Hence, warranting the need to augment food sources to meet the growing demand for human and animal food is necessary. Subscription to edible insects for a sustainable food source is one of the novel options that is largely promoted these days. Edible insects are rich in healthy nutritional values, proteins, fats, vitamins, fibres, and essential nutrients. However, there are challenges and limitations (limited research evidence, nutritional profile variabilities, and health risks) against the global recognition or acceptance of the nutritional status of indigenous and traditional edible insects that have had a household name in the global south. In this chapter, relevant literature on indigenous and traditional edible insects, nutrition, and challenges to their acceptance are reviewed. This chapter presents an overview of the nutritional composition of edible insects, their potential benefits to food security, and their cultural significance. Also, a discussion on the challenges and limitations associated with the nutritional status of edible insects in the global south and strategies for mitigating them are concisely highlighted as well. The use of social media is suggested as a faster means of enlightening uninformed individuals and societies, especially in the global north, about the practical techniques and processesProcesses involved in producing and processing edible insects into savoury cuisine and how to incorporate them into various conventional meals.