Entomophagy, the consumption of insects and their use in food has, until recently, been largely absent from western civilization for cultural reasons, including a somewhat taboo component that has driven its practice into niche sectors. Globally speaking, it is not an uncommon practice in other countries, with more than 1,900 species of insects documented as edible, mainly in tropical regions.
In recent years, economic and environmental factors have driven a more general acceptance of insects consumption. In fact, this practice has been recommended by the United Nations as a way to circumvent the food shortage problem created by an ever-growing global population.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is publishing strict legislation on a case-by-case basis, covering seven approved insect species for feed and one for food thus far. Therefore, the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) with metabarcoding for the correct identification of these and other non-approved insect species in food matrices is relevant to compliance with current legislation.
NGS is a high throughput technique which, unlike conventional and real-time PCR approaches, does not rely on prior knowledge of sample composition. This untargeted approach is particularly useful in complex food matrices where the identification of several components is important.
- Introduction: insects in food and feed
- EFSA authorization of novel foods
- Advantages and disadvantages of insect consumption
- What is NGS?
- NGS application for insect species identification
This webinar is open to everyone that wants to learn more about the application of NGS for insect authentication.
Global Business Manager Food Molecular Biology, SGS
Competence Centre for Molecular Biology (CCMB) Manager, SGS
Cost: No Charge
Can't make a live session? Register now and receive a complimentary recording after the live event.
For further information, please contact:
Senior Global Marketing Manager, SGS
t: +1 973 461 1498