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Title: Fostering strategies to expand the consumption of edible insects: the value of a tripartite coalition between academia, industry, and government

Author
item MASON, JOEL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BLACK, RICHARD - Tufts University
item BOOTH, SARAH - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item BRENTANO, ANDREW - Tiny Farms
item BROADBENT, BILL - Entomarket
item CONNOLLY, PEGGY - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item Finley, John
item GOLDIN, JARROD - Entomo Farms
item GRIFFIN, TIMOTHY - Tufts University
item HAGEN, KELLY - Entomo Farms
item LESNIK, JULIE - Wayne State University
item LEWIS, GABI - Exo
item Pan, Zhongli
item Morales Ramos, Juan
item RANALLI, MARK - Tufts University
item Rojas, Maria - Guadalupe
item SHOCKLEY, MARIANNE - University Of Georgia
item STULL, VALERIE - University Of Wisconsin
item Swietlik, Dariusz

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2018
Publication Date: 6/15/2018
Citation: Mason, J.B., Black, R., Booth, S.L., Brentano, A., Broadbent, B., Connolly, P., Finley, J.W., Goldin, J., Griffin, T., Hagen, K., Lesnik, J., Lewis, G., Pan, Z., Morales Ramos, J.A., Ranalli, M., Rojas, M.G., Shockley, M., Stull, V., Swietlik, D.M. 2018. Fostering strategies to expand the consumption of edible insects: the value of a tripartite coalition between academia, industry, and government. Current Developments in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-10675-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-10675-6

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background: Although many insect-based foods are nutritious and often an inexpensive option for human and domesticated animal consumption, there remains a negligible market for such foods in many countries. Several environmental and economic considerations underscore the potential value of insect-based foods, and emerging science suggests that diets incorporating such foods might also convey some genuine health benefits. However, if expanded markets for insect-based foods in cultures naive to entomophagy are to be pursued, it will be important to develop multi-faceted and coordinated strategies to: 1) delineate authentic health benefits, 2) explore means of optimizing insect husbandry and food processing, 3) examine cultural barriers to acceptance, 4) formulate workable approaches to marketing, and 5) address relevant food regulations. Objectives: We sought to construct a multi-disciplinary coalition whose goals are to investigate the abovementioned five issues. Methods: Eighteen individuals from government, industry, and academia, with collective expertise in the fields of entomology, insect husbandry, human nutrition, sustainable agriculture, entomophagy, consumer product development and marketing, food processing technologies, food regulatory affairs, and the anthropology of food selection convened a one-day summit and formed a tripartite organization to integrate their varied perspectives. Results: Collaborative efforts are underway among members of this coalition to accomplish these multiple goals. Conclusions: Coordinating efforts between accomplished experts in relevant fields of academia, government and industry will greatly expand our knowledge and appreciation for the potential benefits of insect-based foodstuffs to individuals, to society, and to the sustainability of the global food supply, and thereby inform us as to how to proceed in a judicious and intelligent manner.