Entomophagy in humans

For insects as food items, see Insects as food.

Human consumption of a moth caterpillar (genus Cirina, Saturniidae) in Burkina Faso
Fried Cirina caterpillars being served on bread for human consumption

Entomophagy in humans or human entomophagy describes the consumption of insects (entomophagy) by humans in a cultural and biological context. The scientific term used in anthropology, cultural studies, biology and medicine is anthropo-entomophagy.[1][2] Anthropo-entomophagy does not include the eating of arthropods other than insects such as arachnids and myriapods, which is defined as arachnophagy.

Entomophagy is scientifically documented as widespread among non-human primates and common among many human communities.[3] The eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of certain insects have been eaten by humans from prehistoric times to the present day.[4] Around 3,000 ethnic groups practice entomophagy.[5] Human insect-eating is common to cultures in most parts of the world, including Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Eighty percent of the world's nations eat insects of 1,000 to 2,000 species.[6][7] FAO has registered some 1,900 edible insect species and estimates that there were, in 2005, around two billion insect consumers worldwide. FAO suggests eating insects as a possible solution to environmental degradation caused by livestock production.[8]

In some societies, primarily western nations, entomophagy is uncommon or taboo.[9][10][11][12][13][14] While insect eating is uncommon in North America and Europe, insects remain a popular food elsewhere, and some companies are trying to introduce insects as food into Western diets.[15][16][17]

Insects eaten around the world include crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers, ants, various beetle grubs (such as mealworms, the larvae of the darkling beetle),[18] and various species of caterpillar (such as bamboo worms, mopani worms, silkworms and waxworms).

  1. ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta (2009). "Anthropo-entomophagy: Cultures, evolution and sustainability". Entomological Research. 39 (5): 271–288. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x. S2CID 84739253.
  2. ^ Aydoğan, Z. (2021): Anthropo-entomophagy. quantitatively chemical assessment of some edible arthropods, bought from an e-shop. In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. Vol. 28, 15462–15470. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11768-y
  3. ^ Raubenheimer, David; Rothman, Jessica M. (7 January 2013). "Nutritional Ecology of Entomophagy in Humans and Other Primates". Annual Review of Entomology. 58 (1): 141–160. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-120710-100713.
  4. ^ "Entomophagy (Eating insects)". Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California (Research). Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  5. ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta; Menzel, Peter (1998). Creepy crawly cuisine: the gourmet guide to edible insects. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-89281-747-4. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  6. ^ Carrington, Damian (1 August 2010). "Insects could be the key to meeting food needs of growing global population". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  7. ^ Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta (2009). "Anthropo-Entomophagy: Cultures, Evolution And Sustainability". Entomological Research. 39 (5): 271–288. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5967.2009.00238.x. S2CID 84739253.
  8. ^ "Insects for food and feed" (Press releases). FAO. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  9. ^ Meyer-Rochow, Victor Benno (2009). "Food taboos: their origins and purposes". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 5 (18): 18. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-5-18. PMC 2711054. PMID 19563636.
  10. ^ Weiss, M. L. & Mann, A.E. (1985). Human Biology and Behaviour: An Anthropological Perspective. Little Brown & Co. ISBN 978-0-673-39013-4.[page needed]
  11. ^ McElroy, A.; Townsend, P. K. (1989). Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-0742-8.
  12. ^ Saggers, S. & Gray, D. (1991). Aboriginal Health & Society: The Traditional and Contemporary Aboriginal Struggle for Better Health. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86373-057-0.[page needed]
  13. ^ Gordon, David George (1998). The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-0-89815-977-6.[page needed]
  14. ^ Wilson, Charles B. (2015). All Cricket, No Bull... CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1503079649.[page needed]
  15. ^ Thompson, Addie (7 July 2013). "Want To Help Solve The Global Food Crisis? Eat More Crickets". Forbes. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  16. ^ Beans, Carolyn (4 November 2022). "How to convince people to eat insects". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 119 (46): e2217537119. Bibcode:2022PNAS..11917537B. doi:10.1073/pnas.2217537119. PMC 9674222. PMID 36332000.
  17. ^ Kröger, Tieneke; Dupont, Jacqueline; Büsing, Lucy; Fiebelkorn, Florian (21 February 2022). "Acceptance of Insect-Based Food Products in Western Societies: A Systematic Review". Frontiers in Nutrition. 8: 759885. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.759885. PMC 8901202. PMID 35265649.
  18. ^ Global Steak - Demain nos enfants mangeront des criquets (2010 French documentary)