In addition to the protein containing all the necessary amino acids, and iron in the form of heme (preferably digestible), insects are a source of, among others calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Unlike animal meat and fish, insects also contain large amounts of dietary fiber. Currently, more than 1900 species of insects are considered edible.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO sees increasing the use of insects as food products as a solution to the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the world. According to a prepared report, over 2 billion people worldwide supplement their diets in this way. FAO encourages to increase the production and consumption of insects, which is to bring health and economic benefits to society (obtaining wholesome dietary components from insects is 12 times cheaper than from animal husbandry), and will also reduce environmental pollution. There are currently as many as 40 tons of edible insect species per one inhabitant of the Earth.
The first serving restaurants are already appearing in Europe Insect dishes, but so far they are treated more as a culinary curiosity. There is currently one such restaurant in Poland, and its menu includes, among others duck in a sauce of crickets and raspberries with groats and fruit sorbet with mealworms.
Edible insects can also be purchased on the Internet. Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine that in highly developed countries the dung beetle or the locust will quickly become the basis of the diet …