Insects as food or edible insects are insect species used for human consumption. With over 2, identified edible insects, there are many options for human consumption. Some insects may also be used as a fat source boasting up to Insects can provide omega-6 and omega-3, iron proportionally more iron than other major food sources like beef , and zinc. Besides nutrients, the energy obtained by eating insects can be similar to other food sources like beef and chicken depending on what kind of insect is eaten.
There are also environmental benefits from using insects as a food source: Insects require significantly less feed, can be used in feed, and release fewer CO 2 emissions than conventional animal food sources. Insects may be a sustainable commercial farming option to support populations struggling with food security due to their nutrition and farming capacities, taking less room to cultivate than other protein sources.
Human consumption of 2, different insect species has been documented. The table below ranks insect order by number and percentage of confirmed species consumed and presents each insect orders' percentage of known insect species diversity.
Insect species consumption varies by region due to differences in environment, ecosystems , and climate. For a list of edible insects consumed locally see: List of edible insects by country. Cochineal Dactylopius coccus is collected to produce carmine , a red dye used for textiles and food.
It was largely substituted with synthetic dyes like alizarin. Fears over the safety of artificial food additives renewed the popularity of cochineal dyes, and the increased demand has made cultivation of the insect profitable again, [ 25 ] with Peru being the largest producer, followed by Mexico , Chile , Argentina and the Canary Islands.
