Edible Insects in Africa in Terms of Food, Wildlife Resource, and Pest Management Legislation

Abstract

Entomophagy is an ancient and actually African tradition that has been receiving renewed attention since edible insects have been identified as one of the solutions to improve global nutrition. As any other foodstuff, insects should be regulated by the government to ensure product quality and consumer safety. The goal of the present paper was to assess the current legal status of edible insects in Africa. For that, corresponding authorities were contacted along with an extensive online search, relying mostly on the FAOLEX database. Except for Botswana, insects are not mentioned in national regulations, although the definitions for "foodstuff" allow their inclusion, i.e., general food law can also apply to insects. Contacted authorities tolerated entomophagy, even though no legal base existed. However, insects typically appear in laws pertaining the use of natural resources, making a permit necessary (in most cases). Pest management regulation can also refer to edible species, e.g., locusts or weevils. Farming is an option that should be assessed carefully. All this creates a complex, nation-specific situation regarding which insect may be used legally to what purpose. Recommendations for elements in future insect-related regulations from the food hygiene point of view are provided.Foods 2020, 9, 502 2 of 43 after the classical antiquity, the tradition lingered on in Africa. There are hundreds of insect species consumed in Africa as foodstuffs or as traditional medicine [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The awareness of the benefits of edible insects has also reached non-traditional sectors of the African population, and web-based information sites like LINCAOCNET (http://gbif.africamuseum.be/lincaocnet_dev/) provide searchable information on local species.Insects are traded in a relatively small to medium level. The economic benefit varies with the species and is seldom accounted for, but one of the most significant ones seems to be the phane caterpillars of a saturniid emperor moth Gonimbrasia belina (ex "Imbrasia belina"), reaching a yearly trade value of more than $85 million in Southern Africa.Like with any other foodstuff, the consumption of edible insects may lead to consumer risks, typically allergens, foodborne diseases, food spoilage agents, and contaminants [7]. Being so, the tradition has developed a set of dos and do nots to ensure food safety to a certain degree. However, as traditions develop over long periods of time and tend to become inflexible, some parts of it may not cover "modern" risks like environmental pollution, or even packaging [3]. In fact, the traditional handling of African insect-based products has become submitted to scientific research, and results show that even processed products may contain pathogens. By means of illustration (and far beyond completeness of data), Table 1 provides a look into the microbiology of fresh and processed products from three African insect species. SpeciesProduct Acinetobacter spp. Bacillus spp. Corynebacterium spp.Enterobacter spp. Enterobacter FaecalisEscherichia...

Chemical Composition, Nutrient Quality and Acceptability of Edible Insects Are Affected by Species, Developmental Stage, Gender, Diet, and Processing Method

“…Regulations and legislation along with proper farming procedures, storage and hygiene would benefit consumers by way of healthier insects. Frameworks shared by different countries exist in Europe [ 201 ] but are lacking for most developing countries [ 202 ]. Proper processing and decontamination methods against micro-organisms during collection and storage, and preference of species should be included in surveys to ensure food safety [ 22 ].…”

“…A regulatory legal framework is required to guarantee that manufacturing practices, quality management, hazard analysis and other issues related to content and quality of edible insects are meeting acceptable standards [ 202 ]. Furthermore, proper labelling and documentation of the insect product would help to boost the consumers’ knowledge and interest in entomophagy as would some cheeky and witty slogans to promote insect-containing food items [ 30 ].…”

Insects Used as Food and Feed: Isn’t That What We All Need?

“…Microbial safety was also an issue that the paper by Nils Grabowski et al [ 29 ] dealt with. The authors pointed out that edible insects, like other foodstuffs, in order to guarantee consumer safety and product quality, should be covered by governmental regulations.…”

Benefits and Challenges in the Incorporation of Insects in Food Products

“…Despite consuming a high number of insect species in Africa, there is lack of specific regulations in many of them ( 130 ). Exceptions are the Botswana's law that considered mopane caterpillars ( Imbrasia belina ) as edible ( 130 ), and, more recently, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved three national standards for guiding the primary production of edible insects and also how to handle the resulting by-products. Specifically, standards describe the requirements for infrastructure and environmental issues ( 131 ) or for the food and feed products containing edible insects ( 131 , 132 ).…”