ABSTRACT
Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca per gli Alimenti e la Nutrizione (INRAN), Rome, Italy, INRAN, Via Ardeatina 546,00178 Rome, Italy. E-mail: sbukkens@hotmail.com
Abstract An overview of the nutritional quality of food insects, with special emphasis on their role as a source of animal protein for humans is presented. Data available on the content of protein, essential amino acids, fat, fatty acids, and micronutri ents of the most common food insects are summarized. It is concluded that food insects are generally an excellent source of protein, fat, and micronutrients. The amino acid composition of most food insects compares favorably with the refer ence standard recommended by FAO/WHO/UNU.
