Khavhatondwi Rinah Mofokeng

Edible insects can be converted into flours, defatted powders, protein concentrates, isolates, hydrolysates, lipid fractions and chitin-rich ingredients. This targeted narrative review of 45 cited sources, including 18 original studies in the core processing-outcome synthesis, examines how processing affects the safety, nutrient retention, digestibility, techno-functionality, sensory quality, cost and sustainability of these ingredients; it is not an exhaustive or systematic review. Nutritional contribution, techno-functional performance and substantiated physiological or health-related functionality are distinguished and potential bioactivity is not treated as proof of a human health benefit. Blanching, boiling, roasting, convective drying, milling, pressing, defatting, extraction, hydrolysis and fermentation are classified as established operations; freeze-drying as an established low-temperature process; and microwave and infrared heating, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high-pressure processing and cold plasma as emerging or intensification technologies. Moderate heating may improve microbial control and protease accessibility, whereas excessive heat may reduce amino-acid availability, solubility, foaming and emulsification. Reductions in total counts are distinguished from validated pathogen lethality, and food safety includes biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards. In the European Union, market access depends on novel food authorisations that are specific to species, life stage, process and product. The review proposes a conceptual species–process–product framework that links process selection to product application, safety validation, sensory acceptance, industrial feasibility and regulatory compliance; this framework is informed by, but has not been validated against, the reviewed evidence.

Vernonia amygdalina Del. (bitter leaf) is a nutrient-rich indigenous leafy vegetable, but most research has examined raw material or laboratory extracts rather than the vegetable as consumed. This structured narrative review evaluates how household and food-processing methods affect nutrient retention, anti-nutritional factors, and bioaccessibility and distinguishes measured species-specific findings from extrapolated evidence. Boiling and aqueous debittering can reduce heat-sensitive nutrients, minerals, and anti-nutritional factors, but the heterogeneous primary studies do not permit a single quantitative estimate of these effects. Lactic acid fermentation is a potential research strategy: proposed reductions in anti-nutritional factors and bitterness are extrapolated from other fermented plant foods because no species-specific fermentation study was identified. Similarly, proposed gut-microbiome effects are inferred from general dietary-fibre and isolated-polyphenol literature, not from V. amygdalina feeding studies. No human study has directly measured nutrient absorption, systemic bioavailability, or clinical effects after consumption of processed bitter leaf. Hence, phytate-to-mineral ratios are interpreted only as indicators of predicted absorption, and proposed food formats and development pathways are identified as author-generated concepts rather than validated products. The review identifies priorities for species-specific processing studies, standardised in vitro digestion, product safety and acceptability testing, and ultimately human absorption and efficacy research.

Background: Edible insects constitute a highly nutritious, environmentally sustainable and culturally significant food resource with considerable potential to contribute to food system transformation within academic and broader societal contexts. Although global interest in entomophagy continues to increase, there remains limited research exploring the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and consumption practices of university populations within rural South African settings. Methods: Three concurrent cross-sectional quantitative studies were conducted at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), located in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Study 1 evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and consumption patterns of edible insects among 200 students. Study 2 examined knowledge and utilisation of edible insects among 390 students. Study 3 investigated knowledge and perceptions regarding edible insects among 200 university staff members. Structured questionnaires covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and food frequency practices were administered across all studies. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 28 through descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages. Analyses were descriptive only; no inferential testing, factor analysis or regression was undertaken, and the three studies are compared as a descriptive synthesis rather than pooled into a single dataset. Results: Findings across all study groups demonstrated high levels of awareness regarding edible insects, with awareness reported by 85% of participants in Study 1 and 100% in Study 2, and 98% of staff members acknowleded the ecological importance of insects. Mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina), termites and grasshoppers emerged as the most recognised and frequently consumed edible insect species. Consumption prevalence was notably high, reported at 91% in Study 1 and 69.2% in Study 2 and 66.3% among staff in Study 3. General attitudes towards entomophagy were largely favourable, with 41% of students expressing excitement about edible insect consumption and 91.1% of staff supporting the commercialisation of edible insects. Key barriers influencing consumption included religious restrictions (25.1%, reported in Study 2 only; participants with religious dietary prohibitions were excluded at sampling in Studies 1 and 3, limiting cross-study comparability of this barrier), cultural taboos (3%), inadequate market availability and limited awareness regarding nutritional benefits. Staff members further demonstrated positive environmental and sustainability perceptions, with 84.1% recognising edible insects as environmentally beneficial and viable future food sources. Conclusions: Across three independent cross-sectional studies conducted at the University of Venda, broadly similar patterns of awareness, attitudes, perceptions and edible insect consumption were observed. Although the studies differed in sampling and measurement, they consistently suggest that edible insects remain culturally accepted among many students and staff. Nevertheless, challenges relating to nutritional literacy, market accessibility and policy integration continue to limit broader adoption. Strengthening nutrition education initiatives and incorporating edible insects into institutional food systems may enhance the contribution of edible insects towards food security, sustainable protein provision and nutrition sustainability within Limpopo Province and beyond.

Insects are fundamental to ecosystem functioning and human welfare, yet their multifaceted contributions to ecological services, food security, rural livelihoods, and cultural heritage remain insufficiently represented in mainstream scientific research and policy. Despite growing global recognition of insect decline and the potential of entomophagy to address food system challenges, integrated evidence linking global ecological knowledge with community-level indigenous practices is lacking, particularly in sub-Saharan African contexts. A narrative bibliometric review was conducted through systematic searches of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases, supplemented by FAO, IPBES, and MDPI Insects repositories. Searches were conducted between January 2024 and May 2026 using keyword combinations spanning entomophagy, ecosystem services, insect decline, indigenous knowledge and edible insects in Africa. Four thematic dimensions are synthesised: (1) ecological services, (2) nutritional value and food security, (3) economic contribution and livelihoods, and (4) socio-cultural and ethnomedicinal significance. The Venda region of Limpopo Province emerges as a compelling case study of how insect–human relationships intersect with biodiversity conservation, food security, and rural development. Actions include integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific research, strengthening sustainable community-based insect harvesting practices, and incorporating edible insects into South Africa’s food, nutrition, and biodiversity policies in alignment with global sustainability and biodiversity goals.