A review of edible insect industrialization: scales of production and implications for sustainability

Edible insects have emerged in the past decade as a sustainable alternative to agro-industrial production systems and livestock-based diets. Despite the expansion of the market and increases in academic publications, a review of the rapidly changing field of edible insect research has yet to be published. Here we present a comprehensive and systematic review of the research on edible insect industrialization, the mass rearing of insects for human consumption, published in the year 2018. Our review provides an overview of the edible insect industry, as the field becomes more industrialized, and research addresses health, safety, and other concerns of consumers and legislators. This review provides an understanding of the scales of edible insect industrialization from (a) the microbiological level of insect rearing, to (b) the external production factors within rearing facilities, (c) the development of insect products, (d) consumer acceptance of industrially reared insects, and (e) social and moral concerns with the industry. We contextualize reviewed works in relation to earlier and subsequent publications on edible insects, providing a view of the bigger picture as insect-based products are poised to become more widely available to global consumers. Overall, this review provides an overview of the edible insect industry for environmental researchers and policymakers interested in the linkages between food, agriculture, and climate change, as well as recent progress, remaining challenges, and trade-offs of an industry with potential to contribute to more sustainable diets.