## 1 Introduction  
Edible insects are increasingly being regarded as a sustainable and alternative source of nutrients and are becoming of increasing interest for commercial purposes [1]. One of the most widely eaten insects in Thailand is sago palm weeevil larvae (_Rlynochlororus ferrugineus_) [2], which are either wild-harvested or farmed [3]. The larvae can be up to 35 mm long, with a brown head and a yellowish body composed of 13 segments. As adults, they develop a strong chitinised average length of about 50 mm and width of 20 mm [4]. They are reported to be nutritious [5] and can meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable groups, contributing to food security. According to published studies, the protein content for _Rhynchophorus ferrugineus_ ranges from 18 to 28.5 g/100 g dry weight (DW), lipid content ranges from 52.4-60.1 g/100 g DW, and ash content ranges from 2.4-2.9 g/100 g DW, depending on the location of farming [4]. In addition to their high nutritional value, insects have a short life span, and high production capacity, are relatively easy to harvest/gather and can be consumed at any stage of their life cycle. Insect farming is gaining global traction due to its nutritional, environmental, and economic importance [3]. Sago grub larvae, for example, have a higher feed conversion, are produced without antibiotics, and have lower environmental impacts such as greenhouse emissions, and low land and water requirements when reared compared to traditional domestic famed animals [1; 3; 4]. The elemental nutritional compositions of several _Rhynchophorus_ species have also been established. The protein and fat contents of _R. bilineatus_ (24.2 and 40.0 g/100 g DW), _R. ferrugineus_ (27.9 and 59.7 g/100 g DW), _R. phoenicis_ (22.1 and 66.6 g/100 g DW), and _R. palmarum_ (24.4 and 15.36 g/100 g DW) have been reported in the literature, demonstrating the suitability of sago grubs as a source of protein and fat [4; 6; 7; 8].  
In Thailand, entomogy is majorly concentrated in the Northern and Northeastern provinces [9]. However, _Rhynchophorus ferrugineus_ larva is one of the most popular edible insects commonly farm-raised in Southern Thailand. Sago grubs are often prepared as fried, stir-fried, or as satay, and are reported to be a relatively cheap, accessible and nutritious food source [9]. According to [PERSON] [10], sago grubs are eaten by either traditional consumers based in the provinces, urban consumers who have developed a taste for insects, or foreign tourists attracted by the novelty and delicacies sold across the country. Consequently, the global trade and inter-country movement of edible insect materials is likely to increase as edible insects become more popular, especially in Western countries.  
However, such inter-country trade poses a potential biosecurity risk [11], and laws governing the importation of edible insect materials in various countries have been established to control such risk. For example, for importing edible insect material such as sago grub into New Zealand, there is a biosecurity pre-processing requirement involving boiling and drying of the grubs, since live grubs are not permitted to be imported (see [[https://www.mpi.gov.nz/bioscecurity/](https://www.mpi.gov.nz/bioscecurity/)]([https://www.mpi.gov.nz/bioscecurity/](https://www.mpi.gov.nz/bioscecurity/)), accessed on 29 July 2022).  
Currently, there is no report assessing the impact of such pre-treatment on nutrient content. This present study aimed to evaluate the mineral and fatty acid profile of sago grub (_R. ferrugineus_) imported into New Zealand from Thailand and assess the health implications based on the fatty acid profile, lipid nutritional indices, essential minerals, and heavy metal contents.