Edible insect research gains international visibility at world conference

Research being conducted at the CPUT on edible insects and sustainable alternative proteins is attracting growing international attention.

This is according to Dr Vusi Mshayisa, leader of CPUT’s Edible Insect Research Group and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Technology, who recently represented the University at the Insects to Feed the World (IFW) 2026 Conference in Turin, Italy.

The four-day international conference brought together researchers, policymakers, industry representatives and innovators working on some of the major questions facing the emerging edible insect sector, from sustainable production and food safety to processing, consumer acceptance and commercialisation.

For Mshayisa, however, the conference represented something larger than an opportunity to present research. “The work I presented represents the collective effort of our students, collaborators and colleagues. One of the most rewarding aspects of standing on an international platform is knowing that research being conducted by our students at CPUT is contributing to a global scientific conversation.”

The Edible Insect Research Group contributed three oral presentations and one poster to the conference. The studies examined the nutritional and functional characteristics of edible insect ingredients, their incorporation into foods such as biscuits, sensory acceptance, and differences in the nutritional and physicochemical properties of different insect species.

Mshayisa said the research sparked discussion among delegates, particularly on using multivariate statistical approaches to understand insect ingredients and developing

insect-enriched foods that balance nutritional improvement with consumer acceptability.

He said this balance is critical and that food innovation ultimately has to work for people. “It is not enough to demonstrate that an unconventional ingredient contains protein, minerals or bioactive compounds. We need to understand its functionality, processing behaviour, safety, sensory properties and how it can realistically become part of a food system.”

CPUT’s presence extended to the conference's scientific leadership as Mshayisa served on the International Scientific Committee and chaired the session on Insects as Novel Foods, Product Development and Evaluation. He said the experience also provided an opportunity to strengthen international research networks and expose CPUT’s research to scientists working in food science, insect production, nutrition, processing technologies and sustainable food systems.

Importantly, Mshayisa believes the knowledge gained internationally must return to the classroom and laboratory. “What we learn at these platforms must ultimately benefit our students. It should influence the questions we investigate, the postgraduate projects we supervise and the way we prepare the next generation of food scientists.”

The Group’s research forms part of a broader effort to investigate how edible insects and other alternative proteins could contribute to food and nutrition security, sustainable processing and more resilient food systems. Mshayisa believes South Africa has an important opportunity in this emerging field.

“We have edible insects that have formed part of African food cultures for generations. The opportunity now is to bring rigorous food science, modern processing technologies and product development into that knowledge system, without losing sight of its cultural context.” Participation at IFW 2026 was supported by CPUT’s Directorate Research Development through Conference Committee funding and by the Faculty of Applied

Sciences, alongside the contributions of colleagues and students involved in the research presented.

Written by CPUT News
Email: news@cput.ac.za