INFORM September 2024

Insects have the potential to play a vital role in a circu lar economy, offering solutions to current societal challenges. Within the framework of a circular economy, insects pres ent a potential avenue for transforming waste into novel food products and materials, offering a means to address certain environmental challenges. Utilizing insects for food, feed, biomaterial production, and to manage waste through val orization of by-products has garnered increasing attention. Numerous insect species can be economically reared on low value organic by-products, requiring minimal land, water, and producing fewer greenhouse gases. This suggests that insects serve as a promising source of biological materials, including proteins, and oils. MEALWORM OIL The mealworm, originating as the larva of the darkling bee tle ( Tenebrio molitor ), falls under the Coleoptera order and Tenebrionidae family within the insect kingdom. Other prev REVIEW ARTICLE

inform September 2024, Vol. 35 (8) • 21

Diverse applications of oils and fats extracted from insects in various food systems.

dence on land-intensive agricultural produce. Recent projec tions suggest that the edible insect market is poised to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.5%, reach ing an estimated value of $4.63 billion by 2027. Notably, insect farming demonstrates low environmental impact, requiring reduced use of land, water, and energy inputs, positioning it as “green” and sustainable food source rich in high-quality pro teins (40 to 75%) and lipids (20 to 40%). The exploration of insect-based lipids is particularly interesting, given their potential to contain high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic and linolenic acids. Additionally, insect-derived lipids contain a substantial level of biologically active components, including tocopherols, sterols, and carotenoids. However, it is important to acknowledge that the yield, fatty acid profiles, and nutritional content of these lipids might differ across insect species, influenced by factors such as feed composition, developmental stage, geographical location, and extraction methods.