Page 51 - FoodFocusThailand No.217 APRIL 2024

SUSTAINABILITY DRIVEN

Sources of contamination from insect farming for strict HACCP implementation within rearing and processing
to finished products facilities.
1. Chemical hazards Chemical hazards found 8. Allergens Arthropods are related to crustaceans, and
within insects are mostly dependent on habitat and therefore, arthropods are recognized sources of induced allergic
feed contamination, both of which can be controlled reactions in humans. Such reactions are often induced by the
through selected farming techniques. The contaminants presence of tropomyosin, arginine kinase, glyceraldehyde
may be present in the substrate used, or within the 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and haemocyanin. Insects can
environment. cause an allergic reaction via contact, inhalation, or oral
2. Mycotoxins Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites ingestion. It was found that locusts, grasshoppers, and silkworm
produced by pathogenic and food spoilage molds and are pupae are responsible for anaphylactic shock. Cross-reactive
often found in the feed substrate upon which the insects are allergies have been identified in crustaceans, cockroaches,
reared. The mycotoxins of Fusarium, Aspergillus, and and dust mites.
Penicillium can also be present within the gut of an insect,
thus indicating the potential of related food safety issues Food security and sustainability and the circular
because these toxins could potentially impose acute and economy
chronic effects on humans and animals. Insects currently offer a low carbon footprint during the rearing
3. Heavy metals The concentration of heavy metals and harvesting cycle due to low greenhouse gas emissions,
accumulated within insect hosts is dependent on the low ammonia emissions, and low water consumption. Several
substrate used, the individual insect species, and the growth species are effectively reared on organic waste. Therefore,
stage of the insect, also including packaging material used. insects have the potential to create future food security within
Previously, it was found that non-essential heavy metals a sustainable circular economy.
such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and arsenic
(As) maintained a positive correlation between the feed The future of insect production and consumption
substrate and the insects. perspective
4. Drugs and hormones Limited information was Insects could potentially become a palatable, safe, and
available regarding the presence or accumulation of residual sustainable food source. They contain sufficient levels of
drugs and hormones within farmed and wild insects. A study macronutrients and micronutrients suitable for human
undertaken on fly larvae focused on the antibiotics consumption, offer a low carbon footprint, increased economic
roxithromycin and trimethoprim and the antiepileptic drug value, and have the potential to positively contribute to a
carbamazepine: no bioaccumulation of these pharmaceuticals sustainable circular economy. Insects and insect-based
was noted . foodstuffs need to be introduced to consumers as a palatable,
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5. Pesticide residues The current trend of regulated safe, and sustainable food source for the future, as the benefits
insect farming, which includes controlled feeding, has the of edible insects cannot be fully realized until citizens choose
potential to produce safe edible insects. Pesticides used in to engage with entomophagy. Consumer education and
agriculture could possibly be present in plant materials and familiarity with entomophagy will be required to enhance the
agricultural wastes that are suitable as substrates during journey of the mini livestock from cradle to fork in a palatable
insect production. The accumulation of chlorinated and and sustainable manner to further develop a nutritious and
organophosphorus pesticides in wild-harvested insects was palatable end product.
highlighted. The results indicated that 49.2 μg/kg of
chlorinated pesticide and 740.2 μg/kg of organophosphorus
pesticides were present in wild locusts caught and sold at a More Information Service Info C008
local market in Kuwait. The concentrated accumulations
within the insects were due to the presence of pesticides on
recently sprayed crops in the insect habitat . เอกสารอ้างอิง / References
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6. Bacteria Previous studies identified the presence of Lalander, C.; Senecal, J.; Gros Calvo, M.; Ahrens, L.; Josefsson, S.;
Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Wiberg, K.; Vinnerás, B. Fate of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in
fly larvae composting. Sci. Total Environ. 2016, 565, 279–286
Rickettsiella sp., Salmonella, Shigella, and Campylobacter 2 Purschke, B.; Scheibelberger, R.; Axmann, S.; Adler, A.; Jäger, H.
that may possibly be present within the gut or on the cuticles Impact of substrate contamination with mycotoxins, heavy
of the larvae . Furthermore, insects are not usually checked metals and pesticides on the growth performance and composition
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before slaughter. Therefore, careful attention to HACCP- of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) for use in the
based processing procedures is required to mitigate any feed and food value chain. Food Addit. Contam.—Part A Chem.
residual opportunistic pathogens. Anal. Control Expo. Risk Assess.
7. Viruses The vector competence of insects within food 3 Grabowski, N.T.; Klein, G. Microbiology of processed edible insect
and feed systems has not previously been established. products–Results of a preliminary survey. Int. J. Food Microbiol.
Further research indicated that a selection of viruses, 2017, 243, 03–107.
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including norovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis E, and hepatitis A, Eilenberg, J.; Vlak, J.M.; Nielsen-LeRoux, C.; Cappellozza, S.;
could possibly be introduced to insects via the substrate Jensen, A.B. Diseases in insects produced for food and feed. J.
Insects Food Feed 2015, 1, 87–102
within production units . Such findings indicate the necessity
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