Species composition, purity and safety concerns of edible insects in a Cambodian market

Insects are increasingly recognised as sustainable protein sources amid rising global food demand and the environmental impacts of conventional livestock production. However, although entomophagy is widespread in Southeast Asia, empirical information regarding Cambodia is limited. In this study, we investigated the composition and handling of insect-based food items sold at Skun Market in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia, through surveys conducted in September and December 2022 and March 2023. Mixed fried assortments were purchased, sorted and taxonomically identified and the proportions of each group were quantified. Crickets, mainly Brachytrupes portentosus and Gryllus bimaculatus , were sold in high purity (mean 87.9%), whereas water beetles showed low purity (mean 79.0%) and frequently contained non-target taxa, including Diplonychus rusticus . A variety of additional insects, including mole crickets, ground beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers and dung beetles, were also detected in the cricket samples. Harmful or potentially toxic insects are occasionally mixed into assortments, raising concerns similar to those raised by contamination issues reported in other processed animal products. In the water beetle samples, vendors appeared to distinguish between Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae and higher proportions of Dytiscidae were associated with higher prices, suggesting possible differences in their availability. Although aquatic insects are threatened in Japan, they are commonly consumed as food in Cambodia.