Post‑harvest handling, processing and value addition of edible insects as a sustainable food resource in Africa : a review.

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dc.contributor.authorAkullo, Jolly Oder
dc.contributor.authorEgonyu, James Peter
dc.contributor.authorNg’ang’a, Jeremiah
dc.contributor.authorKiiru, Samuel
dc.contributor.authorMmari, Mercy
dc.contributor.authorNdiritu, Alex
dc.contributor.authorMaimba, Zipporah Wangari
dc.contributor.authorSalano, Fedha Monicha
dc.contributor.authorKinyuru, John
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-03T09:23:30Z
dc.date.available2026-07-03T09:23:30Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionArticle
dc.description.abstractEdible insects at different developmental stages like larvae, pupae and adults serve as food resources across the globe. They are rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, essential vitamins and minerals. Since recent decades, there is a growing interest in utilising edible insects as part of the sustainable solutions to malnutrition and food insecurity in the world. This review analyses the current advances in post-harvest processes and value addition in edible insects, focusing on development of modern processing technologies, use of insects in food enrichment in order to improve their nutritional profile, palatability as well as extraction of high value industrial products/compounds from the insects. Presently, most edible insects are harvested from the wild and traditionally processed through boiling, roasting, frying, smoking, solar drying, stewing, steaming, drying and pounding or a combination of these methods. To increase consumer interest in insects, various novel technologies have been developed particularly aiming at using insects as ingredients in a non-recognizable form, such as powders or flour to enrich and supplement food products. Insect-based bakery products such as bread, biscuits, muffins, crackers, cookies, complementary food and porridges are the most common products. The most popular insects reported in food enrichment include crickets, winged termites, mealworms, palm weevil larvae, locusts, and grasshoppers. Technologies for extraction of insect components like chitin, fat/oil, and protein for application as ingredients in food industry are still being developed. Conventional food products with 5% insect powder inclusion are highly acceptable to consumers in Africa. Keywords Processing · Food enrichment · Insect products
dc.description.sponsorshipJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) ; Busitema University
dc.identifier.citationAkullo, J. O., Egonyu, J. P., Ng’ang’a, J., Kiiru, S., Mmari, M., Ndiritu, A., Maimba, Z. W., Salano, F. M., & Kinyuru, J. (2025). Post-harvest handling, processing and value addition of edible insects as a sustainable food resource in Africa: A review. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 45(1), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01410-6
dc.identifier.urihttps://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/7340
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.titlePost‑harvest handling, processing and value addition of edible insects as a sustainable food resource in Africa : a review.
dc.typeArticle
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