Current and future research trends for the edible insect food industry

The imperative to secure sustainable protein resources is driven by three major factors: global population growth, climate change, and food security threats. Consequently, research on various alternative protein materials and resources is ongoing. Of these, edible insects have garnered particular interest from the Food and Agriculture Organization as a prospective food resource. This attention is largely attributable to their high nutritional value, rapid production cycle, and minimal environmental impact. Presently, the market is undergoing rapid expansion, particularly in North America and Europe. The high protein, fat, mineral, and bioactive properties of these insects are contributing to an increase in their availability for consumption. However, the edible insect industry faces significant challenges, including consumer food neophobia, processing limitations, regulatory constraints, allergies, and other safety concerns. Consequently, this paper provides a comprehensive review of these issues and discusses the industrialization challenges and future research directions for the sustainable development of the edible insect industry. These discussions are based on the current status of the edible insect market. The development of the edible insect industry is contingent upon technological advancement, yet it is equally imperative to foster consumer acceptance, establish a domestic edible insect industry system that aligns with international standards, and diversify the utilization of edible insects through the refinement of processing methodologies.