The first dog food based on dried insects, potatoes, oats and plant-based ingredients has recently arrived in British pet shops. The new product has a lower environmental impact than the more widely available meat-based foods – in terms of CO2 production, pesticide use, and water and land consumption. Pets account for 20 per cent of the meat and fish produced worldwide, and it has been calculated that pet food is currently responsible for a quarter of the environmental impact of overall meat production.

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What nutrients are found in insects

Insect-based pet food had already been discussed a few years ago, but with specific reference to animals with particular health issues. In Italy, dry kibble containing insects as the sole animal protein source is already on sale and is recommended for dogs with suspected food allergies. "Commercial foods of this type are absolutely to be recommended for all those animals that show gastrointestinal or skin symptoms of presumed food allergic origin," explains Dr Barbara Tonini, veterinary surgeon. "In these cases, the recommended course of action is to administer, for a period of at least 6–8 weeks, a food containing a novel protein source – one that has never been consumed before – and insects are an excellent alternative to the protein sources commonly used in the past, such as horse, rabbit, and so on."

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But is it true that insects can be an important protein source comparable in nutritional value to meat? "Insects used for food are generally excellent protein sources, rich above all in essential amino acids, on a par with meat and fish," adds Tonini. "It is important to know, however, that there is variability in protein content and amino acid profile depending on the species used. For example, grasshoppers have a decent taurine content, whereas other insects are entirely lacking in it, but may provide other essential nutrients." An example? Fly larvae, which contain high concentrations of calcium, iron and zinc, or cockroach larvae, which are important sources of vitamin B12.

But that is not all. In addition to providing protein, insects allow the absorption of minerals, vitamins (especially B-group vitamins) and essential fatty acids. Furthermore, some species are characterised by a high omega-3 content, precisely because they have been reared on feed enriched with supplements of this kind. All of this makes these foods perfect not only for intolerant or allergic animals, but also for healthy dogs and cats.

Insects are the basis of the food of the future

"The use of insects in pet nutrition is certainly a valid solution from a nutritional standpoint," Dr Tonini continues. "It is also an eco-sustainable choice because it would reduce both greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions and the use of land and water." In this regard, it is worth bearing in mind that more than 70 per cent of cereals are grown for livestock farming.

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Producing insect-based foods does not require the use of large amounts of resources

According to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Fao), insects represent an excellent food source because they live everywhere, reproduce quickly and have a high growth rate and feed conversion ratio – for example, crickets require only half a kilogram of feed to produce one kilogram of meat, whereas producing the same quantity of beef requires nearly 10 kilograms of grain.

These are highly interesting figures, therefore, for those who care about the health of our planet as well as the wellbeing of animals in general. And they point to a series of intriguing developments for an industry that is only now taking its first steps on a global scale, yet already promises to become a winning choice from every point of view: starting, on a commercial scale, from the world of our four-legged friends, the use of insects will undoubtedly extend to human nutrition as well, unquestionably contributing to the safeguarding of our ecosystem.