Data di Pubblicazione:
2020
Abstract:
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the novel food market due to the growing demand for proteinrich food and the diversification of the protein sources currently used. The edible insect and insect based-food sector
has recently experienced an increase in the quantities produced and traded. This increase has occurred thanks to
awareness-raising actions and the development of European regulations. The limited development of this sector
does not permit in-depth market and business analyses, since it is still in formation, which means that it is still a
relatively unexplored field of study, especially on the European scene. The objective of this study is to carry out
a preliminary investigation of the consistency, typology and product assortment of the companies located in the
European Union and which are focused on the production and marketing of insect-based products. The survey was
performed through the investigation of the E-commerce catalogues and Internet websites of the companies. The
study also focuses on the main insect species used, the origin of the raw material used and the prices of products
currently available on the European market. The results show that companies are mainly located in the northern
European countries and that the most used distribution channels are the E-commerce websites, compared to physical
retail outlets. Most companies also buy their raw material from third party companies, even non-European ones,
and then process or only resell the product. The products which sold the most were whole insects or insect meal,
mainly based on Tenebrio molitor or Acheta domesticus. Prices showed a high variability, in particular related to
the species used and how it is packaged.
Tipologia CRIS:
03A-Articolo su Rivista
Keywords:
novel food, insect farming, channel distribution, insect price
Elenco autori:
Pippinato Liam, Gasco Laura, Di Vita Giuseppe, Mancuso Teresina
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