Insects on the menu: characterization of protein quality to evaluate potential as an alternative protein source for human consumption
Résumé
By 2050, the world's population will reach 9.7 billion, with a large majority of the increase occurring in low- and middle-income countries (1). Economic development and increased urbanization is predicted to cause a rapid growth of protein consumption, especially of animal-derived proteins. Meeting the demand for proteins while respecting environmental limits is a huge challenge. Diversification of protein sources is mandatory, with partial substitution of animal proteins with alternative sustainable protein sources. However, animal proteins are regarded as a reference in terms of nutritional quality and attention should be paid to quality when considering new protein sources, particularly with the view of lowering global protein intake. Nutritional quality can be...