Independent publishing company Wageningen Academic Publishers has announced the publication of the 'Journal of Insects as Food and Feed'. The journal is the first scientific journal with a multidisciplinary approach on the use of insects as feed and food ingredient. Dr. Alan L. Yen, an entomologist based at Agribio at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia, will serve as the Editor-in- chief of the journal.
Historically, insects have been eaten by people from many different cultures as part of their normal diet. This tradition has actively continued in several continents. In the western world eating insects is not commonly accepted. With the current world population growth rate, western people may have to get used to insects as protein source. The use of a diverse range of edible insects would be a step to alleviate the potential shortage of meat as protein source.
The 'Journal of Insects as Food and Feed' will cover edible insects from harvesting in the wild through to industrial scale. At the end of the edible insect food or feed chain, marketing issues, consumer acceptance, regulation and legislation pose new research challenges. Microbial safety, toxicity due to chemical contaminants, and allergies are important issues in safety of insects as food and feed.
The first volume of the journal will be published in 2015. It will contain articles derived from the joint FAO/WUR conference 'Insects to feed the world'. Innovative contributions that address the multitude of aspects relevant for the utilisation of insects in increasing food and feed quality, safety and security are welcome.
