Will It Cricket? Product Development and Evaluation of Cricket (<i>Acheta domesticus</i>) Powder Replacement in Sausage, Pasta, and Brownies

Abstract

Insect powders used in food products may lower the overall quality when compared to conventional counterparts. This preliminary study was used to develop and evaluate insect-based food products and to utilize them in a future consumer test. Pork sausage, dried pasta, and chocolate brownie formulations were developed to either contain NO cricket powder (Control) or have cricket powder (CP). The products were evaluated for proximate composition and product-dependent parameters. The protein content increased in the CP pasta and brownies (p p > 0.05). Fat content increased in both the CP pasta and brownies while it decreased in the CP sausage (p p p p < 0.05) may be attributed to cricket powder affecting protein solubility and emulsion stability in sausage while gluten formation may be interfered with in the brownies. Overall, cricket powder replacement had improved nutritional content with minor changes in quality parameters.

Keywords

• insect-based foods
• novel foods
• product development
• cricket powder
• meat products
• pasta