Due to the increase in the number of world inhabitants and limited availability of land, in the future, it will become increasingly difficult to provide food for all people. As a new source of protein for humans, edible insects are being promoted, currently being food for people in some tropical countries. More than 2000 different species of insects are used for food. They are mostly beetles, caterpillars, wasps, bees, ants, crickets, grasshoppers and true bugs. The aim of presented graduation thesis was to present the role of insects, their influence on the environment and to describe the main orders of edible insects. The problems of rearing related to the ecology and the well-being of insects are presented. We focused on the protein and fat content, the fatty acid composition, the content of micro-nutrients and chitin in some species of edible insects. In reviewing the literature, we found that insects are a healthy, nutritious alternative to prevalent foods such as chicken, pork, beef and even fish. Many edible insects are rich in proteins and fats, containing calcium, iron, and zinc. Insects positively affect the environment. The rearing and processing of insects and the safety of their products obtained as well as the attitude of consumers towards this kind of food are described. The consumers have to be convinced that those insects are a healthy alternative to traditional food of animal origin with high nutritional value as well as that edible insects also can be a tasty meal with attractive sensory properties.
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