Original Research Article Nutrient composition of four species of winged termites consumed in western Kenya John N. Kinyuru a, *, Silvenus O. Konyole b , Nanna Roos c , Christine A. Onyango a , Victor O. Owino d , Bethwell O. Owuor e , Benson B. Estambale b , Henrik Friis c , Jens Aagaard-Hansen c , Glaston M. Kenji a a Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya b University of Nairobi, Kenya c University of Copenhagen, Denmark d Winfood Project, University of Nairobi, Kenya e Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya 1. Introduction According to FAO (2010), more than 2.5 billion people, mainly in Africa and Asia, commonly eat insects. Currently attention is being drawn to this valuable traditional food resource, which if tapped or exploited is likely to be a more sustainable solution for nutrient deficiency. Edible winged termites form an important part of the food culture in the Lake Victoria region of East Africa (DeFoliart, 1999; Ayieko, 2007). In many households termites are a delicacy enjoyed by almost all ethnic communities in western Kenya. There are different species of edible winged termites collected for human consumption in western Kenya. Depending on the termite species and season, methods of harvesting vary (Ayieko et al., 2010). In the western Kenya region, termites are collected during the April and October rainy seasons. They are prepared by blanching in boiling water then drying in the sun, and then frying in their own fat. They are consumed as part of a meal or as a complete meal with tapioca, bread, roast corn, or simply eaten as snack food. Some mothers even grind the dried termites into flour and use it as a sprinkle in baby porridge (Bergeron et al., 1988). Termites are also eaten raw directly from the emergence hole (Christensen et al., 2006; Ayieko et al., 2010). Although termite harvest begins with the onset of the rains and the swarming of the winged termites, villagers have shown that some termites could be induced to emerge even during the dry seasons, making them available throughout the year. This has created attachment to the termite enterprise by locals to the extent that in some parts of the region, termite mounds are owned by individuals and sometimes form part of inheritance when one dies (Banjo et al., 2006). It is postulated that termites contain high-quality nutrients including highly digestible proteins (Kinyuru et al., 2010a), as well as minerals, which are more bioavailable than minerals from plant foods (Omotoso, 2006). They may therefore be utilised to manage the widespread nutrient deficiency in developing countries Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 30 (2013) 120–124 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 22 February 2012 Received in revised form 13 February 2013 Accepted 17 February 2013 Keywords: Entomophagy Edible insects Nutrition Iron Zinc Polyunsaturated fatty acids Food analysis Food composition Biodiversity and nutrition Indigenous food A B S T R A C T The objective of this study was to gain knowledge on the nutrient composition of Macrotermes subhylanus, Pseudacanthotermes militaris, Macrotermes bellicosus and Pseudacanthotermes spiniger termite species consumed in western Kenya. Proximate, iron, zinc, calcium and fatty acid composition were analysed in order to ascertain their potential in food-based strategies to improve nutritional health. The fat content was 44.82–47.31 g/100 g, protein 33.51–39.74 g/100 g, available carbohydrate 0.72–8.73 g/ 100 g, iron 53.33–115.97 mg/100 g and zinc 7.10–12.86 mg/100 g. The level of unsaturated fatty acids was 50.54–67.83%, while n-6:n-3 ratio ranged between 5.80:1.00 and 57.70:1.00, signifying potential nutritional and public health significance. The termites may be exploited to provide high-quality diets especially in the developing countries, which have been plagued by iron and zinc deficiencies as well as poor supply of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid sources. ß 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author at: Department of Food Science and Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel.: +254 723667432. E-mail addresses: jkinyuru@gmail.com, jkinyuru@agr.jkuat.ac.ke (J.N. Kinyuru). Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Journal of Food Composition and Analysis jo u rn al ho m epag e: ww w.els evier .c om /lo cat e/jfc a 0889-1575/$ – see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2013.02.008