Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Nutritional Composition of Four Edible Grasshopper Species Frequently Consumed in Madagascar: Insights for Nutritional Contribution and Alternative Insect Farming.

Magara HJO, Hugel S, Fisher BL.

Foods · 2025

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Summary

This study provides detailed nutritional characterisation of four edible grasshopper species frequently consumed in Madagascar, contributing baseline data on their dietary value in a regional context where entomophagy is an established food practice. The paper likely evaluates these species against human nutritional requirements and considers their suitability for more formalised insect farming as a sustainable protein source. It adds to a growing body of literature supporting edible insects as nutritionally significant and potentially scalable food system components in low- and middle-income country contexts.

UK applicability

The specific species examined are not native to the UK, and regulatory and cultural barriers to insect consumption differ considerably; however, the nutritional benchmarking methodology and findings are broadly relevant to UK and European interest in novel protein sources and the development of evidence-based insect food regulation under frameworks such as the EU Novel Foods Regulation.

Key measures

Proximate composition (protein, fat, moisture, ash, carbohydrate content, %); amino acid profiles; mineral concentrations (mg/kg or mg/100g); possibly fatty acid profiles and energy content (kcal/100g)

Outcomes reported

The study analysed and reported the nutritional composition — likely including protein, fat, amino acid, mineral, and possibly micronutrient profiles — of four grasshopper species commonly consumed in Madagascar. Findings are discussed in the context of their contribution to dietary nutrition and their potential as candidates for alternative insect farming systems.

Theme
Nutrition & health
Subject
Edible insects & alternative proteins
Study type
Research
Study design
Laboratory compositional analysis
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Madagascar
System type
Insect production / entomophagy
DOI
10.3390/foods14111848
Catalogue ID
NRmo3f02hq-04a

Topic tags

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