Abstract Growing population pressures and declining agricultural resources have intensified the search for sustainable food alternatives. In this context, edible insects have gained attention due to their nutritional value and environmental efficiency. This study examines how gastronomy experts evaluate edible insect consumption through the lenses of neophobia, neophilia and intercultural sensitivity. A qualitative research design was employed and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 gastronomy professionals in Turkey. The interview questions were informed by established food-neophobia, food-neophilia and intercultural-sensitivity frameworks. The data were analysed using content analysis with MAXQDA. The findings reveal that neophilia alone does not ensure acceptance of culturally distant foods, while neophobia is strongly shaped by cultural proximity. Intercultural sensitivity emerges as a key interpretive dimension for understanding both tendencies. By integrating these concepts, the study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how cultural evaluation shapes responses to novel foods. The findings further identify product form, cultural familiarity and consumption conditions as factors relevant to willingness to try edible insects.
Abstract Food waste is a major global challenge and its bioconversion through insect farming offers a sustainable solution. Black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens ; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) efficiently convert organic residues into protein- and lipid-rich biomass for animal feed and frass for use as a biofertiliser. This study formulated nutritionally balanced diets by combining seasonal vegetable by-products (spinach, peas, green beans, tomatoes) with dry legume- and cereal-based residues (chickpea husks and wheat silo residues) to evaluate their effects on larval growth and bioconversion efficiency. Six combinations of by-products were tested under controlled conditions and compared with a standard control diet (Gainesville House Fly Diet). Experimental diets generally resulted in higher biomass yields and higher larval weight, with the best performance observed in green bean- and tomato-based diets supplemented with wheat. Survival exceeded 77% in all treatments and development time was slightly shorter in spinach- and pea-based diets. Several experimental diets also improved feed conversion and waste reduction efficiency compared with the control. Overall, larval performance was more strongly associated with dietary energy availability, particularly nitrogen-free extract and lower fibre levels, than with crude protein concentration alone. These findings demonstrate that seasonal vegetable by-products can support cost-effective, sustainable black soldier fly larvae production while providing valuable information for the optimisation of large-scale bioconversion systems.
Abstract Black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens ) are increasingly used as a sustainable protein source in animal feeds. Beyond macronutrient value, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) contain antioxidant compounds and immune-associated proteins that may contribute to their functional value. However, the extent to which rearing substrate and processing influence these components remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of feedstock and industrial microwave drying on antioxidant capacity and immune-associated protein composition in BSFL. Larvae were reared on three waste-derived feedstocks (fruit and vegetable waste, soy okara and brewer’s spent grain). Antioxidant capacity was measured using Folin-Ciocalteu, FRAP and DPPH assays. Immune-associated proteins and AMP candidates were characterised using LC-MS/MS proteomics. Industrial microwave drying was evaluated relative to freeze-drying. Antioxidant capacity differed significantly among feedstocks (ANOVA, ). Brewer’s spent grain increased total phenolic content and reducing capacity, while fruit and vegetable waste resulted in the highest radical scavenging activity. Total immune protein richness did not differ among diets; however, immune functional composition varied significantly (PERMANOVA, R 2 = 0.907, ). Larvae reared on fruit and vegetable waste showed increased representation of immune effector proteins and higher AMP candidate richness. Industrial microwave drying resulted in a 43% reduction in detectable immune-associated proteins and reduced antioxidant capacity. These findings demonstrate that feedstock and processing shape the composition and detectability of antioxidant and immune-associated components in BSFL biomass, highlighting opportunities to optimise insect-derived feed ingredients for targeted applications.
Abstract The yellow mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor ) is increasingly recognised as a novel feed ingredient. During industrial processing, larvae are often defatted to improve storage, handling and extrusion properties. Full-fat (ffTM) and defatted (dTM) mealworm meals were compared as total fishmeal replacements for rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) diets. Three experimental diets were formulated to be isoproteic and isolipidic: a fishmeal-based control (FM) and two diets containing 25% ffTM (FFTM25) or dTM (DTM25). Juvenile rainbow trout (11.4 ± 1.5 g) were fed to apparent satiation twice daily. After 56 days, no impact on growth performance was observed. Feed intake decreased in the DTM25 and FFTM25 groups, while the feed conversion ratio was reduced in the FFTM25 diet, compared to the FM diet. In the anterior intestine, the DTM25 diet increased villus width and enterocyte height. Fish fed the DTM25 diet had higher whole-body lipid content, whereas fillet lipid content was higher in the FFTM25 group. The FFTM25 diet also increased fillet saturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the thrombogenicity index and reduced the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, while the n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio was highest in the FM diet. Nevertheless, all experimental treatments showed similar absolute levels of n-3 PUFA. Fillet yellowness was higher in the control and FFTM25 groups. Overall, the complete dietary replacement of fishmeal with both dTM and ffTM supported growth and anterior intestine health of rainbow trout juveniles. Nevertheless, the ffTM dietary inclusion improved feed efficiency, but reduced fillet lipid quality, indicating a trade-off between mealworm lipid use and product quality.
Abstract Recent research has focused on optimising insect production systems as a source of animal protein for inert diet formulation. However, information remains limited on the zootechnical responses of insects reared on plant-based substrates commonly used in livestock feeds. This study evaluated the growth performance of Gryllus assimilis fed wheat, soybean, or rice bran and characterised the proximate composition, colour and water activity of the resulting meals. Crickets were reared from the nymph stage for 25 days on the different substrates and subsequently harvested to determine production indices and physicochemical meal properties. Growth-related variables, including final weight, weight gain, daily weight gain, final biomass and productivity, did not differ significantly among treatments ( ) and feed conversion was likewise unaffected by substrate. Meal composition varied among treatments: wheat and soybean brans yielded meals with higher crude protein contents (56.44 and 59.42%, respectively), whereas rice bran produced meals with greater crude lipid content (25.15%). Meal yield also differed significantly among treatments ( ), with wheat and rice bran producing higher numerical values. All meals exhibited low water activity (0.38-0.42), corresponding to physicochemical conditions unfavourable to microbial growth. Colour parameters varied with substrate, with soybean- and wheat-based diets producing lighter meals and rice bran resulting in darker products. Overall, all three brans supported G. assimilis rearing under the tested conditions, while substrate selection modulated several nutritional and physical meal characteristics. These findings expand knowledge of G. assimilis production and support further evaluation of this species for insect-based ingredient production.
