Edible insects as foods: mapping scientific publications and product launches in the global market (1996-2021)

Abstract

Edible insects are gaining interest for their health and environmental merits as human food. Within this framework, the main objectives of this research are to fill the gap between market trends and scientific research about the status of edible insects in foods, suggest a roadmap for future research and boost product launches. For these reasons, an attempt has been made to review the progress of scientific documents related to edible insect foods and to detect the prominent trends in insect-based foods during the period 1996-2021. By putting the findings of these searches together, we were able to observe that scientific publications have increased exponentially since 2015 – similar to product launches but at a higher speed. Europe was found to be the most prolific region in terms of publications and food product numbers due to increased awareness of the benefits of insects. Market data offered insights into the main selling countries, food applications and insect ingredients. In the future, food formulators will still have to find innovative solutions to offer insect-based foods with pleasant flavours and textures and, in turn, contribute to healthy and sustainable gastronomy. Ensuring safety and setting a clear legislative framework will further organise the sector and thus boost edible insects as a future food commodity.