Meat consumption will increase because of the growing world population in the period 2005/2007 to 2050. However, the increase will be larger because the capita meat consumption is predicted to increase in this period by 26%. This projection is 50% in developing countries.
Nine billion animals are raised for food in the EU each year, and animal farming harms the environment in many ways, including: excessive manure; fertiliser and pesticide application; air, soil and water pollution; and wildlife habitat destruction.
FAO (2011) estimated that ‘roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tonnes per year’. The value of the lost and wasted food has been estimated to be 750 billion US$ (The Economist, 2014).
Some reasons why insects as a food and feed source is a serious alternative to conventional meat products and feedstocks, are because of the nutrition value and insects produce less ammonia.
The need for safe and effective antimicrobial peptides (AMP) has increased with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains due to excessive use of conventional antibiotics
Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins that are primarily produced by the molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The four major aflatoxins are B1, B2, G1, and G2, which can be found in various food products such as peanuts and maize