Considering their growing popularity as a food source, this book examines the main nutrients and bioactive compounds present in a range of different edible insects. Focusing on the fundamentals of nutrient obtention and rearing management, it dives into the latest developments in the science behind an industry niche that continues to grow as the international community recognizes the uses of insects as a natural, sustainable source of important proteins and fats. It also features accessible discussions of safety concerns, regulatory limitations, and other key aspects, including food neophobia and consumer acceptance. This book is ideal for researchers, students, and professionals keen to understand the potential benefits of edible insects and how to navigate potential industry challenges.
José Manuel Lorenzo is Head of Research at the Centro Tecnológico de la Carne (CTC), Ourense, Spain. He has a degree in food science and technology from the University of Vigo (1995-2000). From October 2005 to March 2006, he completed his training with a predoctoral stay at the Stazione Sperimentale per L´Industria delle Conserve Alimentaria (Parma, Italy). He obtained his PhD in food science and technology (University of Vigo) in 2006. He started his scientific career in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Vigo, first as a research scholar and then, since April 2006, as an academic researcher. In 2007, he joined the CTC staff, developing since then an intense collaboration with the industrial sector, private companies, and research institutions as a PI of several projects of R&D and innovation in food science area, with emphasis on healthier and functional food development. He was a principal researcher in four European projects, nine national projects, and 58 regional projects (Galicia, NW Spain) with meat industries. Moreover, he has participated in more than 110 projects as a research collaborator. He is currently leading the Network of Sustainable Regional Protein-Rich Foods (AlProSos; CYTED 125RT0165). It is a robust network comprising 229 researchers from 14 Ibero-American countries. It boasts the support of 29 research centers and universities, along with 21 companies. The network's core mission is to identify, characterize, extract, purify, functionalize, and assess the allergenicity and safety of regional alternative proteins for developing novel food products. Regarding his research experience, the quality and impact of his scientific production stand out:
1. His scientific production includes more than 1,000 research papers in well recognized peer-reviewed international journals (SCI), with 56% of them in the first quartile (the number of publications in Q1 is higher than 500) and 283 communications to national and international congresses. His h-index is 111 with 49,620 citations in Scopus.
2. He has edited 22 international books and one national book. Moreover, he has written 125 chapters in international and national books.
3. He has five national patents as an inventor.
4. He is Chief Editor of Current Food Science and Technology Reports and Associate Editor of five prestigious journals: Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods, Food Frontiers, Food Analytical Methods, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Animal Science Journal, eFoods, Measurement: Food, and Canadian Journal of Animal Science. He has also edited several special issues for these high-impact journals to create more discussion around key aspects of functional food development: innovative technologies, functional ingredients, and food safety and quality.
