Korean Edible Insects: A Promising Sustainable Resource of Proteins and Peptides for Formulating Future Functional Foods

• Published in: Food Supplements and Biomaterials for Health Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: Wedamulla, Nishala Erandi, Zhang, Qun, Kim, Seok-Hee, Choi, Young-Jin, Bae, Sung Mun, Kim, Eun-Kyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 건강기능식품미래포럼 01.03.2024
• Subjects: 식품과학
• ISSN: 2765-4362; 2765-4699
• DOI: 10.52361/fsbh.2024.4.e5

Many studies have explored the potential use of edible insects as future food sources due to their nutritional and biological properties. In Korea, there are also various edible insects considered promising for future food sources and currently approved for consumption by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. These include ten types: Oxya chinensis sinuosa (grasshopper), Bombyx batryticatus (stiff silkworm), Bombyx mori (silkworm pupa), Tenebrio molitor (mealworm larva), Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket), Protaetia brevitarsis (white-spotted flower chafer larva), Allomyrina dichotoma (rhinoceros beetle larva), Zophobas atratus (giant mealworm), Apis mellifera (male honeybee pupa), and Locusta migratoria (locust). However, information on studies regarding these insects and their outcomes remains limited. Recognizing this gap, this paper introduces the current knowledge on aspects such as their nutritional value, biological properties, utilization in foods and food industries, and forthcoming challenges associated with these ten edible insects. Owing to promising biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive and anticancer activities of Korean edible insects, a variety of food formulations are developed adding these edible insects as functional ingredient. Apart from the bioactive properties, the unique nutritional composition of edible insects promotes their applications in food and other related industries as alternative protein sources. Therefore, the aim of this review is to attract interest and promote research and utilization of these insects. KCI Citation Count: 0