Termites as human foods—A comprehensive review

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety ^ | 6/22/23 | Shahida Anusha Siddiqui, Ito Fernando, Yuniar Rizky Saraswati, Teguh Rahayu, Iskandar Azmy Harahap,

[DallasBiff]

Abstract

Global food production is anticipated to rise along with the growth of the global population. As a result, creative solutions must be devised to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, and safe food. Consequently, including insects in diets has the potential to improve global food and nutrition security. This paper aims to share recent findings by covering edible termites as the main aspect, from their consumption record until consumer acceptance. A total of 53 termite species are reported as edible ones and distributed in 6 biogeographic realms. Generally, termites have a nutrient composition that is suitable for human consumption, and cooked termites are a better dietary choice than their raw counterparts. Besides, increasing customer interest in eating termite-based food can be achieved by making it more palatable and tastier through various cooking processes, that is, boiling, frying, grilling, roasting, smoking, and sun-drying. Moreover, edible termites can also be used as a new source of medication by exhibiting antimicrobial activity. Regarding their advantages, it is strongly encouraged to implement a seminatural rearing system to sustain the supply of edible termites. Overall, this paper makes it evident that termites are an important natural resource for food or medicine. Hence, the long-term objective is to stimulate scientific inquiry into the potential of edible insects as an answer to the problem of global food security.

[Colorado Doug]

I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly

A moose bit my sister.

[metmom]

As a result, creative solutions must be devised to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, and safe food.

I already do. Thanks but no thanks, I don't need or want your *help*.

You can have my share of the bugs.

[Organic Panic]

“the potential of edible insects as an answer to the problem of global food security.”

LIES!!! There is ZERO food insecurity. There is a lack of capitalism and an abundance of politics.

[jeffc]

Yes. We will be forced to eat bugs (or starve), while the elites dine on kobe beef, beluga caviar (illegal in the U.S. - for us heathens), and champagne.

[farmguy]

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “eaten out of house and home”

[jonrick46]

Termites? Do they mean the kind that chews away the wood structure of your home?

[GenXPolymath]

“There is ZERO food insecurity. There is a lack of capitalism and an abundance of politics.”

First have you ever been to Africa and if you have rural Africa?

I would love to hear how one who is making less than one usd per day can afford to have food shipped to them from even a neighboring country let alone the USA or Europe the other big food producers.

Food insecurity is real for billions who live on land not fertile enough or don’t have enough money to buy the fertilizers and equipment needed to grow self sufficient food supply let alone grow enough for commercial sale via capitalism.

[Organic Panic]

“Lack of capitalism.”