Insects enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for human consumption

Insects have come to be considered a new, sustainable food source for humans and for aquatic organisms farmed in captivity in the European Union. The catalyst for these changes is the need to supply animal protein to a global population that will continue to grow to 9 billion by 2050. Insects are more efficient at protein production than traditional livestock, leaving a smaller ecological footprint on the planet. However, their nutritional composition varies considerably, even among individuals from the same production batch. The design of artificial diets could solve this problem and even improve their growth and reproduction, as well as contribute to obtaining more nutritionally valuable, biosafe, and high-value-added products. Therefore, the overall objective of this project is to design artificial diets for feeding the species Zophobas morio, Blaptica dubia, Gryllus asimilis and Gryllus bimaculatus and systems for improving nutritional value that allow enriching the insects in polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 3 series and guaranteeing their biosafety as a product for human consumption.

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ULL Team

• Diego Garrido Lorenzo
• Covadonga Rodríguez González