Insects Are a Sustainable Source of Omega-3

14 Jan 2016 --- Insect oil is a possible new source of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Insects make fatty acids by nature and can live on organic waste. Wageningen University examines which insects can best be used for oil and what their optimal diet should be.

Insects are already used as a source of protein for man and beast. In the protein extraction process oil is also extracted. This insect oil is currently thrown away, which is a shame, proves researcher Daylan Tzompa Sosa of Wageningen University.

In her PhD-research, Tzompa Sosa looks at milk fats, but of curiosity she did a similar fat analysis with oil that was left over after protein extraction of insects by a lab colleague.

“The oil appeared to contain a lot of fatty acids, both saturated and unsaturated”, she says. In addition, Tzompa Sosa demonstrated that the oil can be extracted in an environmentally friendly way, therefore giving the highest return and the best quality oil compared to other processes. Sosa extracted oil from meal worms, beetle larvae, crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers and soldier flies. “All the oils smelt different, some better than others”, the Wageningen scientist says.

The food industry is increasingly interested in sustainable fatty acids like omega-3 and lauric acid. The main source for omega-3 is currently fish, which is added to cat feed, farm raised salmon and put in capsules. “Cats die when they get a full vegetable diet without these additives. That is why they normally eat meat. Farm raised salmons get wild caught fish or fishmeal instead.”

Humans also need to take in a certain amount of fatty acids. Lauric acid (found in coconut oil) is supposed to have anti bacterial and anti viral qualities. Furthermore, the use of insect oil in cosmetics is an interesting option.

http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/newsarticle/Insects-are-a-sustainable-source-of-omega3.htm