Wageningen Academic

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 2020

2020;online
##(##): 1-11 ARTICLE IN PRESS P u b l i s h e r s

Current scenario in the European edible-insect industry: a preliminary study

L. Pippinato, L. Gasco*, G. Di Vita and T. Mancuso

Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Science, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy;
laura.gasco@unito.it
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

Received: 27 January 2020 / Accepted: 12 March 2020

© 2020 Wageningen Academic Publishers

OPEN ACCESS RESEARCH ARTICLE

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the novel food market due to the growing demand for protein-
rich food and the diversification of the protein sources currently used. The edible insect and insect based-food sector
has recently experienced an increase in the quantities produced and traded. This increase has occurred thanks to
awareness-raising actions and the development of European regulations. The limited development of this sector
does not permit in-depth market and business analyses, since it is still in formation, which means that it is still a
relatively unexplored field of study, especially on the European scene. The objective of this study is to carry out
a preliminary investigation of the consistency, typology and product assortment of the companies located in the
European Union and which are focused on the production and marketing of insect-based products. The survey was
performed through the investigation of the E-commerce catalogues and Internet websites of the companies. The
study also focuses on the main insect species used, the origin of the raw material used and the prices of products
currently available on the European market. The results show that companies are mainly located in the northern
European countries and that the most used distribution channels are the E-commerce websites, compared to physical
retail outlets. Most companies also buy their raw material from third party companies, even non-European ones,
and then process or only resell the product. The products which sold the most were whole insects or insect meal,
mainly based on Tenebrio molitor or Acheta domesticus. Prices showed a high variability, in particular related to
the species used and how it is packaged.

Keywords: novel food, insect farming, channel distribution, insect price

1. Introduction basis, proteins in insects range from 12 to 69% (Bessa et

al., in press; Rumpold and Schlüter, 2013). Being of animal
Owing to the global demand for protein-rich food, in origin, proteins from insects are of high biological value,
recent years, we have witnessed the growth of novel containing valuable amounts of essential amino acids (EAA)
environmentally-friendly and sustainable food products. able to contribute in a substantial way to the daily EAA
The increasing world demand for meat and vegetable requirements of adults and young people (Bessa et al., in
proteins (Di Vita et al., 2019; Kim et al., 2019) creates the press). Insects are also rich in energy: depending on the
need to look for novel protein sources (Henchion et al., species, their lipid content can be up to 70% (in dry matter)
2017). With the aim of both satisfying the increasing food (Chen et al., 2010; Payne et al., 2016) with a fatty acid profile
demand due to growing demographic trends worldwide dramatically linked to the rearing substrate. Moreover,
and diversifying the emerging novel food trends in the most insects are also rich in minerals and elements such as
developed countries, non-traditional sources of protein phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese,
have gained increasing importance. Many scientists identify sodium, and in vitamins (vitamin B1 and B2 and niacin)
insects as one of the more sustainable sources of nutrients deemed to be important for human nutrition (Bukkens and
able to satisfy global food needs (Henchion et al., 2017). Paoletti, 2005; Payne et al., 2016). For these reasons edible
The nutritional value of insects is species specific and the insect production has progressively gained importance and
protein fraction is the most represented. On a dry matter the global edible insects market is constantly increasing,

ISSN 2352-4588 online, DOI 10.3920/JIFF2020.00081

 L. Pippinato et al.

both as food and as feed (Gasco et al., 2019; Kim et al., the trading channels are not so uniform, since regulation
2019; Lock et al., 2018; Mancuso et al., 2016, 2019; Sogari depends not only on the EU framework but also on a
et al., 2019a; Van Huis, 2019). national basis in certain countries.

According to both academics and business operators, With regard to the complex legislative framework of novel
entomophagy has received wide attention from industry foods, in which insects or their preparation are included,
and consumers (Van Huis and Tomberlin, 2017; Shelomi, Lotta (2019) and IPIFF (2019a) argued the current legal
2015). Producers have put more effort into developing context in the European Union highlighting the role of
new products based on simple raw materials (e.g. whole national and European bodies involved in authorisations
freeze-dried insects) as well as more sophisticated insect- release to trade the insects-based products. European Food
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

based processed food (e.g. protein bars, crackers and bread, Safety Authority (EFSA) is part of the governance on this
alcohol), while consumers on the contrary, do not always matter, as well as other more recent EU regulations1.
appear to be prepared to accept such foods (Castro and
Chambers, 2018; Cunha et al., 2015; Hartmann and Siegrist, In the panorama of the European agro-food system,
2017; Sogari et al., 2019a). Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 (EC, 2015), which allows
the introduction of ‘novel foods’ became applicable on
Furthermore, recent trends have shown a global increase 1 st January 2018. The European Commission which
in the number of producers as well as in the numbers of regulates this matter, has the right to authorise or update
consumers, despite the aversion of many consumers to this the authorisation regarding the sales of a novel food (IPIFF,
specific novel food. A recent study forecasts that by 2030 2019a), but the legislative framework remains complex.
the global edible-insects market will reach almost 8 bn USD, Every company must be authorised to commercialise the
with a volume of 730,000 tons (Meticulous Research, 2019). novel food. Hence the new procedure has been described
in Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and other implementing
Despite the existence of many studies on the importance regulations.
of edible insects as alternative protein sources, most of the
empirical studies on the edible insect market are mainly To date, there is a package of measures which, if respected,
focused on consumer behaviour and attitudes (House, allows a company to sell insects as food. In the following,
2016). These studies mainly addressed evaluating the some references to the legislative framework in force to date
acceptance and the willingness of the consumer to pay for is provided. ‘Article 35(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/22832
them (Lombardi et al., 2019; Sogari et al., 2019b). Many provides for transitional measures that aim to ensure that
studies highlight the Neophobia index and the aversion to products lawfully commercialised in a Member State of the
insects by consumers (Melgar-Lalanne et al., 2019). On the EU before Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 became applicable
contrary, a relatively limited strand of literature has been (i.e. before 1st January 2018) may remain on the market of
focused on investigating technical and management aspects this particular Member State for a given period of time,
of insect farming in order to assess production costs, profits, subject to certain conditions’ (IPIFF, 2019a: §4.8). ‘Only the
marketing and supply chain aspects (Hanboonsong et al., EU countries applying the so-called novel food transitional
2013). measure (Finland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the
Netherlands, Czech Republic, Belgium, certain states in
Trading channels of edible insects vary by country. In
Asian countries, such as Thailand, there exist different sales
channels, but they are mainly based on short supply chains 1 Reg. EU 2017/2468 (concerning traditional foods from third
that generate small-scale channel distribution. Indeed, countries; EC, 2017a), Reg. EU 2017/2469 (administrative and scientific
harvested or farmed insects can be sold by wholesale requirements for applications; EC, 2017b), Reg. EU 2017/2470 (the
buyers or they can be traded in local markets directly by Union list of novel foods; EC, 2017c), Reg. EU 2017/625 (requirements
those who pick or breed them (Hanboonsong et al., 2013). for the entry into the Union; EC, 2017d).
At the same time, other authors reported the increasing
importance of urban area markets, where insects are traded 2 Reg. EU 2015/2283 (EC, 2015), art. 35 (2), Transitional measures:
by street vendors and restaurants (Durst and Hanboonsong, foods not falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 258/97, which
2015). Another recent trend consists of the development of are lawfully placed on the market by 1 January 2018 and which fall
supermarkets and convenience stores that offer ready-to- within the scope of this regulation may continue to be placed on the
eat processed insects (Durst and Hanboonsong, 2015). In market until a decision is taken in accordance with Articles 10 to 12
Africa, trading channels have been divided into the direct or Articles 14 to 19 of this regulation following an application for
channel (vendors directly selling insects to consumers), authorisation of a novel food or a notification of a traditional food from
and the indirect short channels, consisting of retailers who a third country submitted by the date specified in the implementing
buy insects from producers and sell them in local markets rules adopted in accordance with Article 13 or 20 of this regulation
(Badanaro et al., 2014). Concerning the European Union, respectively, but no later than 2 January 2020.

Please
2 cite this article as 'in press'  JournalJournal
of Insects
of Insects
as Foodasand
Food
Feed
and##(##)
Feed
  Market analysis of insect-based novel food

Germany) had allowed the commercialisation of insects 2. Method

as food, and Finland, Denmark and the United Kingdom
had also allowed commercialisation when originating from Data were collected through an online survey of the current
EU third countries’ (IPIFF, 2019c). Denmark, Finland, universe of EU producers by analysing their websites, by
Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (IPIFF, means of the main search engines and specialised forums.
2019a), had applied national and European legislation to According to the insights of several studies (Anesbury et
authorise companies to produce, hence in these countries al., 2016; Cristobal-Fransi et al., 2020; Kasemsap, 2018),
the innovative food insect-based companies have been analysis using a systematic approach of the website of
encouraged to scale up their expertise. In Belgium and food companies allows to collect a large amount of data
Germany, it seems that tolerance would be applied to on structural features, production and prices of the EU
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

the producers, in France the situation is not so clear. edible-insect industry.

Importation of whole insects or their parts from anywhere
in the world was allowed in Denmark, Finland and the The analysis of the content of websites can be focused on
United Kingdom by authorisation or following specific specific goals, and various methods are applied, as shown
procedures. In March, April and November 2019 the in Henry and Story (2009) and Weber et al. (2006), where
legislative framework were updated, by a ‘package’ of EU a content analysis methodology of the websites of food
regulations: Reg. EU 2019/625 (update Regulation EU manufacturers was set up.
625/2017 requirements for entry into the Union) (EC,
2019), Regulation EU 2019/626 regarding a list of countries In the present study, care was taken to analyse content using
authorised to export insects in the EU, and Regulation EU specific keywords only. The keywords employed were the
2019/1981 where some countries – Canada, South Korea following: ‘insect food’, ‘novel food’, ‘insect farm’ and ‘insect
and Switzerland – have been authorised to export insects products’. Furthermore, the survey excluded all the activities
into the EU; Regulation EU 2019/628 which establishes a of firms focused on the production of insects for feed use
model official certificate for insects as food imported into and all those not located within the territory of the EU.
the EU. In this way, EU Member States benefiting from the
so-called ‘novel food transitional measure’ have to cease In order to create the dataset, information on the type of
imports of insect food products if not originating from activity, the marketing approach, the types of products,
the three EU third countries Canada, South Korea and their sales formats and related nutritional information, in
Switzerland (IPIFF, 2019c). Nevertheless, the European particular taking into account the protein and fat content,
Commission services hope to be able to expand and update the types of insects used and their origin was collected.
the list. Special attention was paid to the prices of the different
types of products.
Manufacturers must also pay close attention to the labelling
of the product on the basis of Regulation EU 2011/1169 (EC, Prices were collected for all products in their original sales
2011). Regarding insect-based products, Food Regulation format and in their original currency, because not all the
CE 2002/178 (EC, 2002) is fully implemented. Lotta (2019) surveyed countries use the Euro as their currency. In order
underlines that some European regulations have to be to compare the observations, data have been converted
updated about the insect market, such as regulations about into Euros and all have been referred to a format of 100 g
the risks (the regulations are dated 2005, 2006 and 2010) of entire insect-based product ready to eat.
and the hygiene rules (the regulation is dated 2004).
Concerning the typology of sales channels, the activities
Considering that scenario analysis is crucial for the future were classified as ‘e-commerce sales’ and ‘physical sales’. The
development of the innovative agricultural and food former was divided into: (1) e-commerce and processing,
sector (Di Vita et al., 2015) and given a certain paucity of whereby the company transforms the raw material itself and
studies and statistical data on the modern supply side, this sells the finished product; (2) e-commerce and production,
research investigates these latter relationships in a novel and when the supply chain is complete and the company also
emerging food sector such as the edible insect industry. As a produces the raw material itself; and (3) e-commerce
consequence, for the first time, a description of the current retailer, if the activity is only involved in the resale of third-
state of the edible insect industry throughout the European party products.
Union is provided. The main objective of the present study
is to define the current scenario of the supply of insects for On the other hand, companies with physical sales, have
human use (food and cosmetics), providing a framework been divided into: (1) farm and processing, if they produce
that allows to identify the main aspects and characteristics and process the raw material directly; (2) catering and
of the EU edible insect supply in order to identify challenges restaurants, where the activities are only concerned with
and opportunities for insect-food producers in the EU. the final transformation for the customer; and (3) shops,
where activities are dedicated only to sales.

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed

Feed ##(##) Please cite this article as 'in press'3
 L. Pippinato et al.

A classification of the product typology presently available Number of insect food companies
at markets was carried out, by classifying them in the four 1-3
following categories: (1) entire insect, where the product
consists of the whole insect, still recognisable in its parts 4-6
and cooked, dehydrated or freeze-dried; (2) meal, in the 7-9
case of protein flour or powders obtained by grinding 10+
the insects themselves; (3) protein bars, in the case of
products mainly oriented to sports nutrition, consisting
of variable percentages of insect flour, in order to increase
the protein content; and (4) other, a category that includes
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

all the different formats of snacks, protein pasta, meats or

alcohol not classifiable in the other categories.

3. Results

Features of the European edible insect industry

This section reports the main results on localisation amount,

distribution channels, productive process and business
activities, grown and traded insect species, typology of
products by species and insect content and average price
by product of surveyed companies. As shown in Table
1, our outcomes revealed the presence of 59 companies
involved in the production, processing or sale of insect-
based food products, which are highlighted. The business
core is concentrated in northern European countries, with
the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium showing the Figure 1. Spatial distribution of insect food companies in the EU.
highest number of activities (Figure 1), followed by the
Netherlands, France, Finland and Denmark.
national regulations and thanks to the favourable ‘novel food
This phenomenon may also be partly due to the positive transitional measures’3 and the previous ones (IPIFF, 2019a).
attitude that northern consumers have towards these
products, which seems to be higher than the rest of The relevance of the main distribution channels was also
European consumers (Piha et al., 2018). But it is also explored. In this regard, the predominance of e-commerce
certainly attributable to different legislation in different was observed. It has progressively gained importance in
EU countries, due to the fact that the safety controls and the food sector as well and many authors have analysed in
trade norms of edible insects have been subject to different depth the impact of e-commerce on several sectors such
as the agro-food industry (Baourakis et al., 2002; Canavari
et al., 2010). E-commerce is now a well-established form of
Table 1. Number of companies by country. trade all over Europe (Carpio and Lange, 2015).

Country E-commerce Physical sale Total % The adoption of e-commerce is not only crucial for
traditional or conventional food, but it also becomes
Austria 2 – 2 3.4 strategic for the enterprises involved in more innovative
Belgium 3 4 7 11.8 production such as edible insects. Indeed, 82% of the
Denmark 4 1 5 8.5 companies examined only use e-commerce for the sale of
Finland 4 1 5 8.5 their products (Table 2). The choice of this type of marketing
France 5 1 6 10.2 is probably due to the possibilities of reducing storage and
Germany 6 1 7 11.8 maintenance costs (Bodini and Zanoli, 2011) and to the
Italy 1 – 1 1.7 possibility of reaching a much greater, more widespread
The Netherlands 4 2 6 10.2 and more distant group of customers interested in this kind
Norway 1 – 1 1.7 of product. In addition, earlier studies highlighted many
Spain 4 – 4 6.8 factors and elements linked to trust that allowed the uptake
Sweden 1 – 1 1.7
United Kingdom 13 1 14 23.7
Total 48 11 59 3 Reg. EU 2015/2283, art. 35 (2), Transitional measures (EC, 2015).

Please
4 cite this article as 'in press'  JournalJournal
of Insects
of Insects
as Foodasand
Food
Feed
and##(##)
Feed
  Market analysis of insect-based novel food

Table 2. Main distribution channels. Table 3. Type of companies by business activity.

Type Companies Of total Type n %

(n) (%)
Production, processing and retailing 12 20.3
Physical sale Processing and retailing 38 64.4
Farm and processing 5 45.4 Only retailing 9 15.3
Catering and restaurant 4 36.4 Total 59 100
Shop 2 18.2
Total 11 100
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

E-commerce
E-commerce and processing 34 70.8 The production process and breeding protocols of the insect
E-commerce and production 7 14.6 species are generally not specified. In spite of this, there
E-commerce retailer 7 14.6 are some small activities, especially in northern countries,
Total 48 100 whose main objective is to raise consumer awareness of
novel food issues and to spread the development of the
so-called urban plants, i.e. small farms that can be easily
implemented even in areas with limited available space.
of modern forms of commerce, such as e-commerce, even
in the agro-food sector (Canavari et al., 2010). In the case of those firms that are mainly focused on the
production of insect raw material, information on prices
Regarding physical sales, direct distribution by farms is and quantity traded is often not provided directly.
the dominant retail format, followed by restaurants and
specialised stores. The farm and processing category Moreover, the companies examined can be categorised into
includes both medium and large-scale sized enterprises, two classes. The first specialises in sports nutrition/healthy
focused mainly on the production process, and the small- nutrition, thus producing insect protein meal, energy bars
scale activities built in an urban context. or protein bars with varying percentages of insect meal,
insect meal tout court and protein pasta with insect meal.
From a legal point of view, in most cases it was not The second class includes those companies more oriented
possible to identify the nature of the companies examined; toward the sale of snacks based on insects and the whole
however, it became clear that, especially in the category insect itself, with different sales formats available. In the
of retailing only, there are franchised outlets, while for case of whole insects, the types of preparation consist of
companies dedicated to production and processing, there the following main types: roasted, dried or freeze-dried.
is a significant presence of start-ups or small independent
companies. With regard to the insect species which are grown and sold,
the following four main species were identified: Acheta
Available data do not allow for information to be gathered domesticus, Tenebrio molitor, Alphitobius diaperinus
about the production of raw materials or even about the and Locusta migratoria. Table 4 reports the number of
supply for many of the companies examined. In fact, for the companies that present products with a distinct insect
production process, many of them rely on the production species in their catalogues. Included in the ‘others’ category
of external firms which often operate in Belgium, the are all minor or exotic species, which are generally imported
Netherlands, Denmark or France. Despite the lack of from different areas of origin, typically from Asia or South
information about the raw material source, in the survey America, where they are already widely and traditionally
of companies it has been observed that, in particular for used as a food source.
some exotic products, the country of origin indicated refers
to extra-European areas, like Asia or South America, where
these insects are considered traditional food. Nevertheless, Table 4. Number of companies that sell a specific insect species.
the origin of insects, when imported, may change according
to the new legislative framework referred to above. Insect species Companies (n) Of the total
companies (%)
The companies that process the raw material and then sell
it (Table 3) are the majority of the sample detected (65.0%), Acheta domesticus 35 58.3
while only 12 companies out of 59 declare on their website Tenebrio molitor 20 33.3
that they are producing their own raw material. Alphitobius diaperinus 16 26.7
Locusta migratoria 10 16.7
Others 25 43.4

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed

Feed ##(##) Please cite this article as 'in press'5
 L. Pippinato et al.

The survey showed use of the common cricket, followed However, the percentage content of insects in food is
by the mealworm. This trend is probably due to the greater highly variable and closely related to the type of product
availability of these species and to the management ability sold (Table 6). By considering the total of 190 different
acquired by firms, which also employ these species as a feed products surveyed, these can be broken down into three
source. Other reasons for their popularity can be ascribed main categories on the basis of insect content percentage:
to their high protein and fat content (Rumpold and Schlüter, >90%, between 90 and 10% and less than 10%. While there
2013) as well as to the fact that some of them are quite easy is an obvious relationship between whole insect format
to rear (Macombe et al., 2019). and insect content >90%, which refers to the majority of
products traded, insect meal has a more variable insect
Focusing on the typology of products traded, as reported content percentage, but it is almost entirely in the range
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

in Table 5, it should be noted that the main type of product above 90%. The reason for the prevalence of products with
in the sector is the whole insect, with almost 50% of the a high insect content is probably due to the easier handling
entire market scene, followed by insect meal with about and preparation process of the product consisting only
20%, according to the classification made for the Global of insects and due to the lower processing requirements
Forecast 2030 (Meticulous Research, 2019). These are the compared to a product with a more complex production
two types of products that require a smaller number of process and more ingredients.
processes and this is probably the reason why they are the
most popular product in the stores’ catalogues. On the other In the case of protein bars, in fact, the content is most
hand, considering the type of products related to the insect frequently below 10%. On the other hand, the visibility
species used, it becomes evident that A. domesticus and of the insects is a strong driver of neophobia among
T. molitor in the forms of whole insects and meal are the insect-based products (Orsi et al., 2019), so other types of
most readily available on the market. A. diaperinus is also preparations, such as protein bars, pasta or snacks, could
frequently used, but to a lesser degree than the common attract a larger number of consumers. Lastly, there are
cricket. Finally, L. migratoria plays the most marginal role greater difficulties in finding such information for exotic
among the four main species considered. insects or more generally for extra-European imported
products.
In addition to the main mandatory label information
(proteins, fats and carbohydrates), many companies report Finally, Figure 2 displays a categorisation of products
other data about micronutrients and vitamins contained by insect species and type. The market of insect-based
in their products, providing a better overview of the products shows a prevalence of whole insect-based formats,
nutritional properties and advantages of a diet that also in different sizes and forms of preparation, followed by the
includes insects. meals. The protein bars format plays a more marginal role,
perhaps due to the fact that these products are aimed at

Table 5. Number of products traded by insect species used.

Product Acheta domesticus Tenebrio molitor Alphitobius diaperinus Locusta migratoria Other Total %

Entire insect 22 21 11 12 27 93 48.9

Meal 20 5 7 3 5 40 21.1
Protein bars 12 1 2 – 4 19 10.0
Other 15 7 5 – 11 38 20.0
Total 69 34 25 15 47 190

Table 6. Typology of products by insect percentage content.

Insect % Entire insect Meal Protein bars Other Total %

>90 93 33 – 4 130 68.4

90>x>10 – 2 2 4 8 4.2
<10 – 1 9 9 19 10.0
n.a. – 4 8 21 33 17.4
Total 93 40 19 38 190 100

Please
6 cite this article as 'in press'  JournalJournal
of Insects
of Insects
as Foodasand
Food
Feed
and##(##)
Feed
  Market analysis of insect-based novel food

28
> 90% 90-10% < 10% n.a.
24

20
Number of products

16

12

8
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

0
A. diaperinus

A. domesticus

L. migratoria

Others

A. diaperinus

A. domesticus

L. migratoria

Others

A. diaperinus

A. domesticus

Others

A. diaperinus

A. domesticus

Others
T. molitor

T. molitor

T. molitor

T. molitor
Entire insect Meal Protein bars Others

Figure 2. Number of products by insect species and typology of product.

a very specific consumer group, particularly athletes and sale, particularly in the case of sales of large quantities, did
people who adopt a protein-rich diet. not allow us to obtain the data for all the products surveyed.

However, a substantial part of the market is made up of Table 7 shows the average prices for the product types
all those products, such as beers, protein pasta, meat or investigated and related to the different insect species used.
sauces, which must be considered as separate from the The highest prices are found in the case of whole insect
main categories of interest because of their specificity. The products (55.4 €/100 g for whole L. migratoria), followed
high percentage of such products can probably be ascribed by insect meal (49.5 €/100 g again for L. migratoria). It is
to the producers’ purpose of raising consumer interest, important to remember, however, that for some categories
avoiding the negative effect on the consumers’ perception few products have been identified, as is the case of L.
caused by the visibility of the whole insect (Orsi et al., 2019). migratoria: this may lead to less reliable average price
Moreover, among all the species found, the one that can values, due to the low presence of these types of product
be considered as the main reference in the panorama of on the market. For this reason, the values obtained for more
novel insect food is A. domesticus, followed by T. molitor. widespread products such as those based on A. domesticus
(37 €/100 g for whole insects) and T. molitor (17.1 €/100 g
Average prices of insect-based food products in the for insect meal) appear more reliable.
European market
Therefore, it is clear that the price is linked to the insect
The different product prices in the catalogues were all quantity in the product, with a trend that shows the highest
referred to the standard format of 100 g of entire insect- prices for whole insects and the lowest prices for protein
based product, to be comparable to each other. However, bars.
the absence of such information for many of the products on

Table 7. Average prices (in €/100 g) for the different type of products related to the insect species used.

Entire insect Meal Protein bars Other

Acheta domesticus 37.0 12.8 4.3 4.5

Tenebrio molitor 22.1 17.1 2.0 9.9
Alphitobius diaperinus 18.4 10.7 6.6 4.8
Locusta migratoria 55.4 49.5 – –
Other 42.3 13.3 4.8 16.5

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed

Feed ##(##) Please cite this article as 'in press'7
 L. Pippinato et al.

What significantly influences the price of the products, based food on the market, probably due to the facility of
however, is the sales format. The survey carried out shows the production process. In addition, this research observed
that the smallest product formats have the highest average that the main distribution channel is e-commerce across all
price per 100 g. Table 8 shows the average prices for the of Europe while A. domesticus and T. molitor are the most
product types according to the sales format. widespread insect species in the EU. The survey shows
that the majority of the companies analysed does not breed
Again, the whole insect has the highest average values their own raw insect material, but they acquire it from
(41.0 €/100 g for sizes under 50 g), followed by meal, with extra-European firms, mainly from Asia.
27.1 €/100 g (for the same size format). The sales format
trend is clear for all the product categories concerned. The In conclusion, the prices in €/100 g found by the market
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

compact format, which is more attractive to the consumer survey are high, especially for the product categories with
attracted by the novelty of the product, combined with the the highest insect content (entire insect and meal); however,
cost of the packaging, therefore contribute to the significant in addition to the insect content, the main driver of prices
price difference between size categories (€ 19.2 difference seems to be the sales format. In fact, smaller sales formats,
between the average prices of >50 g and 50<x<100 g, in the as in the case of packaging below 50-100 g, have the highest
case of whole insects). prices.

4. Discussion and conclusions In addition, the lower prices (more attractive to the
consumer) for products such as protein bars or snacks,
Literature on insect consumption as food has been analysed with a lower content of insect meal, also suggest that these
in depth despite the fact that the studies regarding the types of product, where the insect component is not visible,
dynamics and the strategies of companies involved in the are currently more acceptable to the consumer.
production and trade of edible insects are scarce. That is
why this paper has explored the main features of the edible The data provided in this research allow to identify some
insect industry supply in the European Union and presented possible scenarios, suggesting future trends. In this regard,
a framework of main product typologies, the main insect it seems plausible to predict an increase in European rearing
species used, the spatial distribution of the enterprises activities, thanks to the increasing potential of consumption,
detected as well as structural and distribution channels of especially with regard to products containing insects that
the European insect sector. cannot be identified (protein bars and protein meal).

This paper describes the current scenario of the insect- At the same time, this growth will have to be encouraged
based European food industry for the first time. The market by a process of progressive liberalisation of the sales of
supply is currently managed by a small group of companies these products, which can be further enhanced through a
and demand is still extremely low. However, there is growing regulatory harmonisation of legislation among the European
interest from potential consumers, while highly innovative countries. In this direction, a survey of insect manufacturers
companies are empowering and attracting investment from showed that 64% of firm respondents stated that the EU
abroad. and national regulatory context is one of the main factors
affecting the growth of the European insect sector (IPIFF,
The results highlight the fact that the majority of the 2019b). In fact, a proper collective legal framework regarding
enterprises are mainly located in northern European edible insect production in the EU such as Regulation
countries, focusing their activity on the processing and (EU) 2015/2283 (EC, 2015) and the even more recent EU
trade of the product. The survey also shows that whole Regulation 2019 ‘package’ that has been added, orienting
insects and insect meal are the main typologies of insect- companies to build the most appropriate strategies.

Table 8. Average prices (€/100 g) by type of product and their sales format.

Entire insect Meal Protein bars Other

<50 g 41.0 27.1 8.4 12.9

50<x<100 g 21.8 16.4 4.4 10.8
100<x<200 g 27.9 7.6 2.4 4.9
200<x<500 g 3.0 7.5 3.6 3.5
500<x<1000 g 6.8 6.3 3.5 –
>1000 g – – – 2.5
Total average prices 34.4 14.1 4.5 8.7

Please
8 cite this article as 'in press'  JournalJournal
of Insects
of Insects
as Foodasand
Food
Feed
and##(##)
Feed
  Market analysis of insect-based novel food

The implementation of policies aimed at promoting the Funding statement

establishment of new insect-food enterprises and enhancing
the existing ones, should be adequately supported by The publication derives from the research Project BIOSin
marketing strategies in order to spread a wider knowledge (GASL_RIC_N_COMP_18_02) on ‘Circular economy-
of these products to the consumer, and therefore reduce biomasses-new products: the sustainable bionconvertion of
the neophobic component intrinsic in this type of food. insects (BioSIn)’, which was funded by the CRT Foundation
(Fondazione CRT), Torino, Italy.
Unfortunately, the European insect-based novel foods
market is still at an early stage, combined with a complex Conflict of interest
regulatory framework and a not always positive consumers’
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

attitude towards insect-based food, and thus in the future The authors declare no conflict of interest.
will require a joint effort by the companies to offer more
attractive products for the European consumer. References

The progressive liberalisation of the edible-insect market in Anesbury, Z., Nenycz-Thiel, M., Dawes, J. and Kennedy, R., 2016.
all EU countries makes it possible to consider this plausible How do shoppers behave online? An observational study of online
and therefore expect to see sustained production growth in grocery shopping. Journal of Consumer Behaviour 15: 261-270.
the main EU countries, where this has not yet taken place. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1566
At the same time, a consolidation of supply (production Badanaro, F., Amevoin, K., Lamboni, C. and Amouzou, K., 2014.
and expertise of enterprises) in northern Europe is likely. Edible Cirina forda (Westwood, 1849) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
caterpillar among Moba people of the Savannah Region in North
It is also assumed that a gradual increase in the number of Togo: from collector to consumer. Asian Journal of Applied Science
companies present on the market will lead to a moderate and Engineering 3: 13-24. https://doi.org/10.15590/ajase/2014
downward levelling of prices for all examined products Baourakis, G., Kourgiantakis, M. and Migdalas, A., 2002. The impact
(levelling down of average prices). of e-commerce on agro-food marketing: the case of agricultural
cooperatives, firms and consumers in Crete. British Food Journal
Finally, it is plausible to stick to an increase in demand 104: 580-590. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700210425976
due to the pull effect of meal and protein bars. Whole Bessa, L.W., Pieterse, E., Sigge, G. and Hoffman, L.C., in press. Insects
insects and meal could satisfy the demands of the food as human food; from farm to fork. Journal of the Science of Food
processing industry, while protein bars would increase and Agriculture, https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8860
the demand of those consumers who engage in sports Bodini, A. and Zanoli, R., 2011. Competitive factors of the agro-food
regularly or follow balanced diets, ensuring a diversification e-commerce. Journal of Food Products Marketing 17: 241-260.
of available proteins at markets due to their origin and to https://doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2011.548696
their environmental impact. In fact, despite recent studies Bosch, G., Van Zanten, H.H.E., Zamprogna, A., Veenenbos, M., Meijer,
highlighting that the environmental impact of insects bred N.P., Van der Fels-Klerx, H.J. and Van Loon, J.J.A., 2019. Conversion
for feed use is not low (Bosh et al., 2019; Smetana et al., of organic resources by black soldier fly larvae: legislation, efficiency
2019), the use of different rearing substrates, from a circular and environmental impact. Journal of Cleaner Production 222:
economy point of view (Le Féon et al., 2019), could make 355-363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.270
this production environmentally sustainable. Bukkens, S.G.F. and Paoletti, M.G., 2005. Insects in the human diet:
nutritional aspects. In: Paoletti, M.G. (eds.) Ecological implications
However, the lack of more specific data on companies, of minilivestock: potential of insects, rodents, frogs and snails.
production methods and supply chain relations, as well Science Publishers, Enfield, NH, USA, 608 pp. https://doi.
as the current small number of companies in Europe, do org/10.1201/9781482294439
not permit more detailed analyses on this market. This Canavari, M., Fritz, M., Hofstede, G.J., Matopoulos, A. and
is compounded by the limited availability of pricing Vlachopoulou, M., 2010. The role of trust in the transition from
information, especially in the case of very large production traditional to electronic B2B relationships in agri-food chains.
that is sold wholesale. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 70: 321-327. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2009.08.014
Further analysis could be developed in the near future Carpio, C.E. and Lange, K.Y., 2015. Trends in e-commerce for the
in order to evaluate the organisation of firms and their food marketing system. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture,
strategic approach to the sales market; in this direction Veterinary Science, Nutrition & Natural Resources 10: 1-8. https://
many aspects linked to industry management deserve to doi.org/10.1079/PAVSNNR201510023
be investigated more in depth, first of all in terms of the Castro, M. and Chambers, E., 2018. Willingness to eat an insect based
relationship between buyers and sellers all along the edible product and impact on brand equity: a global perspective. Journal
insect supply chain. of Sensory Studies 34: e12486. https://doi.org/10.1111/joss.12486

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed

Feed ##(##) Please cite this article as 'in press'9
 L. Pippinato et al.

Chen, X., Feng, Y. and Zhang, H., 2010. Review of the nutritive value of to in Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European
edible insects. In: Durst, P.B., Johnson, D.V., Leslie, R.N. and Shono, Parliament and of the Council on novel foods. Official Journal of
K. (eds.) Forest insects as food: humans bite back. Proceedings the European Union 351: 64-71.
of a workshop on Asia-Pacific resources and their potential European Commission (EC), 2017c. Commission Implementing
for development. February 19-21, 2008. Food and Agriculture Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 of 20th December 2017 establishing
Organisation, Chang Mai, Thailand. Available at: http://www.fao. the Union list of novel foods in accordance with Regulation (EU)
org/docrep/012/i1380e00.pdf 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council on novel
Cristobal-Fransi, E., Montegut-Salla, Y., Ferrer-Rosell, B. and Daries, foods. Official Journal of the European Union 351: 72-201.
N., 2020. Rural cooperatives in the digital age: an analysis of the European Commission (EC), 2017d. Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of
Internet presence and degree of maturity of agri-food cooperatives’ the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

e-commerce. Journal of Rural Studies 74: 55-66. https://doi. official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the
org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.11.011 application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare,
Cunha, L.M., Gonçalves, A.T.S., Varela, P., Hersleth, M., Costa Neto, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations
E.M., Grabowski, N.T., House, J., Santos, P. and De Moura, A.P., (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No
2015. Adoption of insects as a source for food and feed production: 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429
a cross-cultural study on determinants of acceptance. In: Book of and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council,
abstracts of the 11th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, August Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and
23-27, 2015, Gothenburg, Sweden. Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/
Di Vita, G., Allegra, V. and Zarbà, A.S., 2015. Building scenarios: EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004
a qualitative approach to forecasting market developments and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the
for ornamental plants. International Journal of Business and Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/
Globalisation 15: 130-151. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBG.2015.071152 EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council
Di Vita, G., Blanc, S., Brun, F., Bracco, S. and D’Amico, M., 2019. Quality Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation). Official Journal
attributes and harmful components of cured meats: exploring the of the European Union 95: 1-142.
attitudes of Italian consumers towards healthier cooked ham. Meat European Commission (EC), 2019. Commission Delegated Regulation
Science 155: 8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.04.013 (EU) 2019/625 of 4th March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU)
Durst, P.B. and Hanboonsong, Y., 2015. Small-scale production of 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard
edible insects for enhanced food security and rural livelihoods: to requirements for the entry into the Union of consignments of
experience from Thailand and Lao People’s Democratic Republic. certain animals and goods intended for human consumption. Official
Journal of Insects as Food and Feed 1: 25-31. https://doi.org/10.3920/ Journal of the European Union 131: 18-30.
JIFF2014.0019 Gasco, L., Biasato, I., Dabbou, S., Schiavone, A. and Gai, F., 2019.
European Commission (EC), 2002. Regulation (CE) 2002/178 animals fed insect-based diets: state-of-the-art on digestibility,
laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, performance and product quality. Animals 9: 170. https://doi.
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down org/10.3390/ani9040170
procedures in matters of food safety. Official Journal of the European Hanboonsong, Y., Jamjanya, T. and Durst, P.B., 2013. Six-legged
Communities 31: 1-24. livestock: edible insect farming, collection and marketing in
European Commission (EC), 2011. Regulation (EU) No 2011/1169 Thailand. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
of 25th October 2011 on the provision of food information to RAP Publications 2013/03, Bangkok, Thailand. Available at: http://
consumers. Official Journal of the European Union 304: 18-61. www.fao.org/3/i3246e/i3246e.pdf.
European Commission (EC), 2015. Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel Hartmann, C. and Siegrist, M., 2017. Consumer perception and
foods, amending Regulation (EU) No 2011/1169 of the European behaviour regarding sustainable protein consumption: a systematic
Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EC) review. Trends in Food Science & Technology 61: 11-25. https://
No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council and doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2016.12.006
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2001/1852. Official Journal of Henchion, M., Hayes, M., Mullen, A.M., Fenelon, M. and Tiwari, B.,
the European Union 327: 1-22. 2017. Future protein supply and demand: strategies and factors
European Commission (EC), 2017a. Commission Implementing influencing a sustainable equilibrium. Foods 6: 53. https://doi.
Regulation (EU) 2017/2468 of 20th December 2017 laying down org/10.3390/foods6070053
administrative and scientific requirements concerning traditional Henry, A.E. and Story, M., 2009. Food and beverage brands that market
foods from third countries in accordance with Regulation (EU) to children and adolescents on the internet: a content analysis of
2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council on novel branded web sites. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 41:
foods. Official Journal of the European Union 351: 55-60. 353-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2008.08.004
European Commission (EC), 2017b. Commission Implementing House, J., 2016. Consumer acceptance of insect-based foods in the
Regulation (EU) 2017/2469 of 20th December 2017 laying down Netherlands: academic and commercial implications. Appetite 107:
administrative and scientific requirements for applications referred 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.023

Please
10 cite this article as 'in press'  JournalJournal
of Insects
of Insects
as Foodasand
Food
Feed
and##(##)
Feed
  Market analysis of insect-based novel food

International Platform of Insect as Food and Feed (IPIFF), 2019a. Meticulous Research, 2019. Edible insects market by product type
Regulation EU 2015/2283 on novel food. Briefing paper on the (whole insect, insect powder, insect meal, insect type (crickets,
provisions relevant to the commercialization of insect-based black soldier fly, mealworms), application (animal feed, protein bar
products intended for human consumption in the EU. IPIFF, and shakes, bakery, confectionery, beverages) – global forecast to
Brussels, Belgium, 44 pp. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y2jdgs4j. 2030. Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd., Pimpri-Chinchwad,
International Platform of Insect as Food and Feed (IPIFF), 2019b. India, 228 pp. Available at: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/
The European insect sector today: challenges, opportunities and product/edible-insects-market-forecast/.
regulatory landscape. IPIFF, Brussels, Belgium, 16 pp. Available at: Orsi, L., Voege, L.L. and Stranieri, S., 2019. Eating edible insects
https://tinyurl.com/tr664sq. as sustainable food? Exploring the determinants of consumer
International Platform of Insect as Food and Feed (IPIFF), 2019c. acceptance in Germany. Food Research International 125: 108573.
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11

Information note: latest regulatory developments regarding the https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108573

establishment of EU import conditions for insects intended for Payne, C.L.R., Scarborough, P., Rayner, M. and Nonaka, K., 2016. Are
human consumption. IPIFF, Brussels, Belgium, 7 pp. Available at: edible insects more or less ‘healthy’ than commonly consumed
https://tinyurl.com/u8jtx53. meats? A comparison using two nutrient profiling models developed
Kasemsap, K., 2018. The importance of electronic commerce in modern to combat over-and undernutrition. European Journal of Clinical
business. In: Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (eds.) Encyclopedia Nutrition 70: 285-291. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.149
of information science and technology (4 th Ed.). Information Piha, S., Pohjanheimo, T., Lähteenmäki-Uutela, A., Křečková, Z. and
Resources Management Association, USA, pp. 2791-2801. https:// Otterbring, T., 2018. The effects of consumer knowledge on the
doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-2255-3.ch243 willingness to buy insect food: an exploratory cross-regional study
Kim, S.W., Less, J.F., Wang, L., Yan, T., Kiron, V., Kaushik, S.J. and in Northern and Central Europe. Food Quality and Preference 70:
Lei, X.G., 2019. Meeting global feed protein demand: challenge, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2016.12.006
opportunity, and strategy. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 7: Rumpold, B.A. and Schlüter, O.K., 2013. Nutritional composition
221-243. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-030117-014838 and safety aspects of edible insects. Molecular Nutrition & Food
Le Féon, S., Thévenot, A., Maillard, F., Macombe, C., Forteau, L. Research 57: 802-823. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201200735
and Aubin, J., 2019. Life Cycle Assessment of fish fed with Shelomi, M., 2015. Why we still don’t eat insects: assessing
insect meal: case study of mealworm inclusion in trout feed, entomophagy promotion through a diffusion of innovations
in France. Aquaculture 500: 82-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. framework. Trends in Food Science & Technology 45: 311-318.
aquaculture.2018.06.051 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2015.06.008
Lock, E.J., Biancarosa, I. and Gasco, L., 2018. Insects as raw materials Smetana, S., Schmitt, E. and Mathys, A., 2019. Sustainable use of
in compound feed for aquaculture. In: Halloran, A., Flore, R., Hermetia illucens insect biomass for feed and food: attributional
Vantomme, P. and Roos, N. (eds.) Edible insects in sustainable food and consequential life cycle assessment. Resources, Conservation
systems. Springer International Publishing AG, Cham, Switzerland, and Recycling 144: 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
pp. 263-276. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74011-9_16 resconrec.2019.01.042
Lombardi, A., Vecchio, R., Borrello, M., Caracciolo, F. and Cembalo, Sogari, G., Amato, M., Biasato, I., Chiesa, S. and Gasco, L., 2019a.
L., 2019. Willingness to pay for insect-based food: the role of The potential role of insects as feed: a multi-perspective review.
information and carrier. Food Quality and Preference 72: 177-187. Animals 9: 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9040119
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2018.10.001 Sogari, G., Menozzi, D., Hartmann, C. and Mora, C., 2019b. How to
Lotta, F., 2019. Insects as food: the legal framework. In: Sogari, G., measure consumers acceptance towards edible insects? A scoping
Mora, C. and Menozzi, D. (eds.) Edible insects in the food sector. review about methodological approaches. In: Sogari, G., Mora, C.
Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- and Menozzi, D. (eds.) Edible insects in the food sector. Springer
3-030-22522-3_8. Nature, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 27-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-
Macombe, C., Le Feon, S., Aubin, J. and Maillard, F., 2019. Marketing 3-030-22522-33
and social effects of industrial scale insect value chains in Europe: Van Huis, A. and Tomberlin, J.K., 2017. Insects as food and feed: from
case of mealworm for feed in France. Journal of Insects as Food and production to consumption. Wageningen Academic Publishers,
Feed 5: 215-224. https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2018.0047 Wageningen, the Netherlands, 447 pp. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-
Mancuso, T., Baldi, T. and Gasco, L., 2016. An empirical study on 90-8686-849-0
consumer acceptance of farmed fish fed on insect meals: the Van Huis, A., 2019. Insects as food and feed, a new emerging
Italian case. Aquaculture International 24: 1489-1507. https://doi. agricultural sector: a review. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed
org/10.1007/s10499-016-0007-z 1: 27-44. https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.0017
Mancuso, T., Pippinato, L. and Gasco, L., 2019. The European insects Weber, K., Story, M. and Harnack, L., 2006. Internet food marketing
sector and its role in the provision of green proteins in feed supply. strategies aimed at children and adolescents: a content analysis of
Quality – Access to Success 20: 374-381. food and beverage brand web sites. Journal of the American Dietetic
Melgar-Lalanne, G., Hernández-Álvarez, A.J. and Salinas-Castro, Association 106: 1463-1466.
A., 2019. Edible insects processing: traditional and innovative
technologies. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food
Safety 18: 1166-1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12463

Journal of Insects as Food and Feed

Feed ##(##) Please cite this article as 'in press'
11
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/JIFF2020.0008 - Sunday, August 02, 2020 9:31:50 AM - IP Address:188.68.0.11