Studies conducted by Nutrinsect have shown that cricket frass can be used as a fertilizer for agriculture, being rich in nitrogen, an element often limiting in agricultural soils. The use of frass, in addition to enriching the soil, helps to increase leaf growth, the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress conditions (for example exposure to cold or excessively hot temperatures) and to the attack of pathogens and weeds. The use of insect frass as a fertilizer therefore represents a natural alternative to the use of traditional agrochemicals, and its application would increase the sustainability of the agricultural sector while reducing its impact on the environment. Other waste from cricket production are represented by its legs and wings, removed during the transformation of the insect into a finished product. This by-product, rich in organic matter, is mainly made up of chitin, a natural biopolymer similar to cellulose. Chitin has medicinal uses as a dietary supplement to boost immunity, reduce cholesterol, support weight loss, and control blood pressure. Chitosan, a derivative of chitin, can also be used to make biodegradable plastic and paper.
Nutrinsect, in collaboration with research institutions, is investigating the applications of cricket chitin in the nutraceutical and pharmacological sector. For an increasingly green future.