Abstract
Consumption of sufficient dietary protein is fundamental to muscle mass maintenance and overall health. Conventional animal-based protein sources such as meat (ie, beef, pork, lamb), poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy are generally considered high-quality sources of dietary protein because they meet all of the indispensable amino-acid requirements for humans and are highly digestible. However, the production of sufficient amounts of conventional animal-based protein to meet future global food demands represents a challenge. Edible insects have recently been proposed as an alternative source of dietary protein that may be produced on a more viable and sustainable commercial scale and, as such, may contribute to ensuring global food security. This review evaluates the protein content, amino-acid composition, and digestibility of edible insects and considers their proposed quality and potential as an alternative protein source for human consumption.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1035-1045 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Nutrition Reviews |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2017 |
Keywords
- amino-acid content
- dietary protein
- edible insects
- protein digestibility
- HERMETIA-ILLUCENS
- NUTRITIONAL-VALUE
- TENEBRIO-MOLITOR
- EDIBLE INSECTS
- NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY
- BROILER-CHICKENS
- FOOD
- QUALITY
- FEED
- SUPPLEMENT