Edible insects as ingredients in food products: nutrition, functional properties, allergenicity of insect proteins, and processing modifications

Insect-derived foods contain high-quality protein and essential nutrients but may pose allergenic risks to consumers.

• Insect proteins, particularly tropomyosin and arginine kinase, are associated with allergenic responses in consumers.
• These allergens can induce immune reactions that bias towards a specific type of immune response (Th2) and reduce regulatory immune cell activity.
• Food processing methods have been shown to improve the nutritional profile and characteristics of insect products.
• There is limited systematic review on how food processing technologies affect immune reactions to allergens in edible insect proteins.
• Recent advances in food processing techniques may reduce the allergenicity of insect proteins by altering the structure of allergens.

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