Insects as Food Edible insects, important source of protein in central Africa 8 November 2004, Rome -- Edible insects, like caterpillars and grubs, are important sources of protein and should be considered an alternative in efforts to increase food security in central African countries, FAO said today. Caterpillars are already an important food intake for many in central Africa, according to an FAO study published today: About 85 percent of participants in a survey in the Central African Republic consume caterpillars; 70 percent in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 91 percent in Botswana. "Edible insects from forests are an important source of protein, and unlike those from agricultural land, they are free of pesticides," said Paul Vantomme, an FAO forestry expert. High nutritional value For every 100 grams of dried caterpillars, there are about 53 grams of protein, about 15 percent of fat and about 17 percent of carbohydrates. Source of income Harvesting insects and forest resources Many caterpillar species nourish on fresh leaves.
Edible insects are important source of protein, UN study shows 8 November 2004 – A new study released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today stresses that edible insects such as caterpillars and grubs should be considered an alternative source of nutrition in efforts to overcome food insecurity in central African countries. “Edible insects from forests are an important source of protein, and unlike those from agricultural land, they are free of pesticides,” said Paul Vantomme, an FAO forestry expert, noting that caterpillars are already an important food intake for many people in central Africa. More than 90 per cent of participants in a survey in Botswana said they consumed caterpillars, with 85 percent in the Central African Republic and 70 percent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) doing the same. For every 100 grams of dried caterpillars, there are about 53 grams of proteins, about 15 per cent of fat and about 17 per cent of carbohydrates, according to the study.
A concise summary on the general nutritional value of insects processed insects are commercially available in Japan (Mitsuhashi, 1984; Kantha, 1988). The most widely eaten is inago (the grasshopper, Oxya velox F.), which is preserved by boiling in soy sauce. This product appears as a luxury item in supermarkets through- out the country, including Tokyo. Mitsuhashi (1984) states (translation): 'Catching inago is an activity that adds poetic charm to rice paddies in autumn'. He further describes an inago hunt at an elementary school in Tsukuba Science City in Ibaraki Prefecture, in which the fathers and mothers who participated collected 68 kg of inago in 2 h. magazines, and the subject is usually treated more seriously than in the past. References Ashiru, M. 0. (1988) The food value of the larvae of Anaphe venata Butler (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). Blum, M. Bodenheimer, F. Chavunduka, D. Comby, B. (1990) Delicieux Insectes. Conconi, J o R. Conconi, J. DeFoliart, G. DeFoliart, G. DeFoliart, G. DeFoliart, G. Dreyer, J. Duffey, S. Dufour, D.