Researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) said on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, that they had identified a new cricket species in Kenya with potential for both human food and animal feed.
The insect, collected and reared for experimental work at the centre’s campus, has been named Scapsipedus icipe. Scientists said it can be produced at scale and may serve as an alternative protein ingredient in livestock feed.
Tanga Mbi, who discovered the insect during his post-doctoral research, said it is commonly found around buildings and fields and can be identified by a distinctive yellow band between the eyes.
“This knowledge is important as it will enable the development of proper, more effective rearing techniques, and ultimately the effective incorporation of the species as a component in food and feed,” Mbi said.
Nanna Roos, Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, said research into farming edible insects as a contribution to nutritious food had been ongoing for four years.
“The discovery of Scapsipedus icipe is exciting and important, not just because it is a new species to Science, but because the species already has demonstrated great potential large-scale farming,” Roos said.
Despite the scientific interest, experts pushing insects as an alternative food still face the “Yuck factor”, a reaction that has kept many people away from edible insects.
