Perspective Chapter: Technological Strategies to Increase Insect Consumption – Transformation of Commodities Meal and Oil into Food/Functional Ingredients

Abstract

Insects have been proposed as an alternative source of nutrients to conventional foods, mainly protein sources because they have excellent nutritional quality and are sustainable. However, there are multiple barriers to mass consumption of insects, primarily the rejection and neophobia they provoke in individuals from Western cultures. Several studies have indicated that the acceptance of insects as food ingredients could be improved “if insects did not look like insects.” Therefore, the focus of current research is to transform commodity-type ingredients such as insect flour and oil through various technologies applied in the food industry such as protein concentration, encapsulation, hydrolysis, fermentation, deodorization, to develop food ingredients with better sensory and technological properties are better accepted by people as a part of their diet. Interestingly, some food ingredients obtained from insects also have functional properties that could increase interest in consumption. These aspects will be reviewed in this chapter for further consideration of insects as food ingredients of the future.