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28 January 2021

Crickets and other insects could be key to feeding the world’s estimated 9.7 billion people on Earth in 2050, but new research suggests bugs could pose health risks for those with shellfish allergies.

Professor Andreas Lopata, a leading expert on shellfish allergy, from James Cook University’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, said more than 2 billion people around the world already eat insects daily.

Crickets are high in protein, nutrient dense and considered environmentally friendly, and studies have shown eating insects provide benefits to gut health, and lower blood pressure while being high in antioxidants.

However, Professor Lopata said because insects and crustaceans both belong to the arthropod family, shellfish allergies were common and potentially severe.

In a collaborative project with partners from CSIRO, including Edith Cowan University, Singapore’s National Agency for Science Technology and Research and the Tropical Futures Institute, the team identified and compared 500 proteins from roasted whole crickets and cricket powder products with over 2000 registered allergens.

Professor Lopata said the research showed a significant overlap in allergenic proteins found in cricket food products and those found in shellfish like crabs and prawns.

“Shellfish allergies affect up to three per cent of people globally, but that varies according to age and region, and there’s a high risk that people allergic to shellfish will also react to insects,” he said.

Professor Lopata said containing an allergen does not prevent insect-based proteins being used as an alternative food source but it does mean insect-based foods would need to be tested and labelled correctly to ensure people with allergies don’t unwittingly eat them.

The findings for this work `Protein extraction protocols for optimal proteome measurement and arginine kinase quantitation from cricket Acheta domesticus for food safety assessment’ was published in the journal Food Chemistry June 30, 2021.

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