Europe’s edible insect market is booming online, but despite their impressive nutrition stats, bugs on the plate remain a tough sell for most consumers.
Study: Are Insect-Based Foods Healthy? An Evaluation of the Products Sold in European E-Commerce. Image Credit: Jiri Hera / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the journal Foods, researchers at the University of Pisa, Italy, analyzed insect-based food products in Europe.
Interest in alternative protein sources has increased substantially due to the rising global population, concerns about food security, the escalating costs of traditional protein sources, and the environmental impact of plant and livestock farming. Moreover, several new foods, such as single-cell proteins, algae, and insects, have been proposed over the past decade, and insect-based foods represent an emerging solution.
Entomophagy, i.e., the consumption of insects by humans, is an ancient tradition still observed in countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In Western countries, eating insects is often perceived with disgust and may also be viewed as a threat to cultural identity, as they are not part of traditional culinary practices. Nevertheless, edible insects have recently been identified as new food sources in the West, primarily due to their sustainability and potential health benefits.
Insects are an excellent source of nutrients, and their nutritional composition varies by species, influenced by various abiotic and biotic factors, including rearing conditions, developmental stage, and diet. Edible insects and their products have been categorized as “Novel Foods” in the European Union. Nevertheless, given their absence in European food cultures, the insect sector faces challenges for various reasons, including health risks, perceived bad taste, religious or dietary limitations, limited product availability, and higher prices compared to conventional foods.
Additionally, negative attitudes and misconceptions about the safety and sensory qualities of insect-based foods present significant barriers to consumer acceptance.
The study and findings
In the present study, researchers analyzed the European e-commerce market for insect-based foods, examining their prices, nutritional values, species, and food categories. First, they identified e-commerce platforms harboring information on insect-based food production companies in Europe. This revealed 523 products from 53 producers.
Most producers were based in Western Europe (47%), followed by Northern (26%) and Eastern Europe (15%). Similarly, Western Europe had a broader market, accounting for 56% of products, followed by Northern Europe (19%) and Eastern Europe (15%). Southern European countries had fewer producers (11%) and a smaller market (10% of products).
The United Kingdom (UK) had the most producers, followed by France, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland. These five countries were the most active in the insect food trade. French companies produced 115 different products, while Czech and German companies offered 69 and 67 products, respectively. Notably, 182 products were based on the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), albeit regional differences were evident.
For instance, products based on house cricket (Acheta domesticus) were more common in Western and Northern regions. Some countries had products based on one or two insects, such as mealworm-only (Slovakia and Spain), house cricket-only (Bulgaria and Norway), or both (Belgium). Others, such as the UK and France, offered the widest variety of insects. Notably, grasshopper (Locusta migratoria) products were less prevalent than other insects in all European countries.
Furthermore, products were offered in various formulations, including meat products, protein products, insect powder, whole insects, meat substitutes, pasta products, cereals, snacks, chocolate products, biscuits, bars, and alcoholic beverages. However, whole insects, sweets, candies, and insect powder were the most abundant categories. Insect powders contained 100% insect, while whole-insect products contained 70% to 75% insect if flavored with spices and salt.
The percentage of insects was low in bars, crackers, or pasta, and even negligible in chocolate grasshoppers. Moreover, insect-based food products were often pricier than conventional food products. Whole grasshoppers and grasshopper powder had the highest average price per kilogram. Chocolate and similar products from all insect species, except grasshoppers, had the highest calorie content.
Meanwhile, savory sauces made from mealworms and other species, cricket-based hard candies, and lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)-based meat imitations had the lowest calorie content. Further, protein content was the highest in whole insects and reduced in processed products proportionate to the insect percentage. The lowest protein content was found in hard candies of all species. In contrast, hard candies had the highest carbohydrate content.
Other high-carbohydrate products were dried pasta, dry premixes for baked products, biscuits, chocolate, similar products, and sweet bars. The carbohydrate content was low in both insect powder and whole insects. Furthermore, the mealworm-based peanut butter with the lowest fat content was found to have the highest fat content, followed by chocolate and similar products. Preserved and partially preserved sausages of other species and whole-house crickets contained the highest average salt content.
It is important to consider that the nutritional value of insect-based products varies depending on the product type, insect species, processing method, and the percentage of insects used in the food. Whole and powdered products generally offer the greatest nutritional benefits, especially in terms of protein and energy content.
Conclusions
Taken together, existing edible insect products are primarily snacks, chocolates, and related products in the European market. These products are well-known to consumers and offer insect protection invisibly (e.g., powder). As such, they are easiest to accept and consume, but also the most challenging to incorporate into daily diets. The study highlights that these products are often consumed as “occasionally experimental” foods rather than regular dietary staples, and their integration into everyday diets faces challenges related to consumer attitudes and habits.
Overall, these findings highlight the benefits of insect-based foods in terms of protein, fat, and energy intake.
The authors suggest that to overcome negative perceptions and facilitate wider adoption, it will be crucial to enhance consumer awareness of the health and sustainability benefits of insect-based foods, diversify product offerings, and develop targeted communication strategies, including engaging social media content and appealing recipes. Policy support may also help promote a sustainable approach to food production and encourage innovation in the insect food sector.
Journal reference:
- Copelotti E, Fratini F, Sforza G, Tuccinardi T, Demontis GC, Mancini S. Are Insect-Based Foods Healthy? An Evaluation of the Products Sold in European E-Commerce. Foods, 2025, DOI: 10.3390/foods14091450, https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/9/1450