Abstract:
Since ancient times, people have benefited from animals for many of their needs, and they have chosen to use and raise animals especially as a protein source. However, ensuring that the rapidly growing world population is fed sustainably has emerged as one of the biggest concerns about food in recent years. The world population is estimated to be 9 billion in 2050, and to feed this population, the amount of food produced today would need to nearly double. Problems such as malnutrition and lack of food security are still important global problems all over the world and especially in underdeveloped and newly developing countries.
If a general definition of nutrition is to be made; it can be expressed as the use of nutrients in the body by consuming the nutrients that provide the nutrients and bioactive components necessary for the maintenance of life, growth and development, protection and improvement of health, increasing the quality of life and ensuring productivity. With the changes in human life, eating and drinking is not just to meet a need; at the same time, it has turned into an action performed for the purpose of perceiving and enjoying the taste of food. The birth of a science that focuses on the flavor of foods has also occurred with these transformations.
Although the consumption of some insect species by humans is not a new issue (insects are an element of nutrition culture, especially in Far Eastern countries), it has become an area that has come to the fore again in recent years, especially with the increase in population and demand for animal protein. This study was carried out to investigate the possibilities of using insects as an alternative food source, and to examine how they affect growth and development in humans, based on the eating and drinking habits of living things, which are likely to change in the coming years. In addition, studies on the nutrient content, digestibility and functional properties of insect- derived protein sources were evaluated.
