The primary objective of this proposal is to promote the integration of insects into the Western diet, where their consumption has been mainly constrained by cultural barriers. To accomplish this, the INSPIRE project will focus on Alphitobius diaperinus larvae, providing scientific evidence towards: (1) enhancing the health-promoting benefits and (2) providing a safety assessment of health risks associated to their consumption. The health promoting benefits will be undertaken through the identification (LC-MS/MS) and characterization of peptides with potential antihypertensive properties obtained from the in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion of A. diaperinus. The peptides predicted to reach the bloodstream will be evaluated for their ability to inhibit the somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE), a current drug target against hypertension. This will be accomplished through in silico and in vitro methodologies. The safety assessment of health risks will be assessed through: (i) the evaluation of the potential allergenicity of insects due to cross-reactivity with crustaceans by GI digestion simulation and immunochemical methods with sera collected from crustacean-allergic patients; (ii) the development of novel DNA-based tools for the detection and traceability of the authorized (A. diaperinus) and the non-authorized (Bombyx mori) species based on real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as an on-site tool.