Crickets vs. Black Soldier Fly Larvae: A Culinary Revolution

There are many species of edible insects, around 2,000, with some being more exotic than others. However, despite their potential as food, many of these insects are ignored or simply not considered for consumption in human diets. This could be due to legal issues, consumer perceptions, or concerns about health safety. In this article, we will analyze the peculiar case of the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and compare it with one of the most consumed insects in the world, crickets.

Firstly, it is known that crickets have a high protein concentration. Additionally, they contain nine of the essential amino acids that we get from our diet and various vitamins, such as B12, which is essential for the well-being of our cells (O’Leary & Samman, 2010; Stone, Tanaka & Nickerson, 2019). However, crickets remain expensive for consumers in several countries, mainly due to an increase in demand and the edible insect industry not yet scaling up (Galt, 2019; Van Huis, 2022). This denotes a trend for crickets to become a premium and attractive product, as happened with shrimp, with different companies already working on it (Galt, 2019). But, why have other insects like BSFL not followed this trend?

On the one hand, BSFL was initially considered only as an alternative for animal 50% of the insect industry is focused on the production of pet food, given that BSFL has essential amino acids for animals, such as methionine and threonine (Van Huis, 2022). Similarly, it has been shown that animals whose diet includes BSFL exhibit fewer stomach problems, such as diarrhea, due to the content of lauric acid within the BSFL that inhibits the growth of bacteria like Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella spp (Bessa et al, 2020; Van Huis, 2022). Therefore, BSFL is only produced on a large scale for the diet of farm animals and pets (Stray Dog Institute, 2022). Additionally, there are no historical records of its human consumption compared to crickets and other insects, causing a lack of information and research about BSFL as an alternative to traditional protein in people's diets (Bessa et al, 2020; Wang & Shelomi, 2017).

On the other hand, BSFL has less protein and more fat compared to crickets (Bessa et al, 2020; Galt, 2019). Therefore, BSFL has garnered interest in industries different than food compared to crickets; for example, since BSFL has enzymes such as leucine aminopeptidase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, α-mannosidase, and α-fucosidase, they are very good at decomposing organic matter and waste (Kuppusamy et al, 2020). In this way, they transform into various useful products, such as biofertilizers, peptides of interest in the pharmaceutical industry, biodiesel production, and as a soil bioremediator as they accumulate mercury and cadmium very well (Bulak et al, 2018; Lohri, 2017; Van Huis, 2022). However, this very advantage of BSFL over other insects is what sets it apart in the human food sector; mainly, being fed primarily with waste generates an automatic rejection and concern on the part of the consumer: nobody wants to feed on waste (Bessa et al, 2021). Additionally, due to this, BSFL has strict regulations concerning health effects (Bessa et al, 2021); consequently, it is not included in the legislation of the European Union of insects approved for human consumption, as is the case with crickets (Bessa et al, 2020; Wang & Shelomi, 2017). Also, BSFL has a strong odor and taste very similar to fish, which varies too much and makes it more difficult to adapt it to the more appetizing or familiar food products for the consumer (Bessa et al, 2020; Wang & Shelomi, 2017). In comparison, the cricket has a quite neutral or nutty taste, allowing for a simpler adaptation to a variety of familiar food products for the consumer, such as burgers, energy bars and in the case of CRICK, its delicious and nutritious nachos (Bessa et al, 2020).

The industry of insects as an alternative to traditional animal protein in people's diets still has a long way to go. This includes both industrial scaling as well as improving and attracting consumers. Insects like crickets have been shown to possess highly valuable nutritional potential and their easy adaptation to appetizing products has caught the attention of food companies, whereas, insects like BSFL are more versatile for other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, bioremediation, and biofuels, thanks to their peptides, fat content, and their ability to accumulate heavy metals and transform waste.

References:

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