Affordable Processing of Edible Orthopterans Provides a Highly Nutritive Source of Food Ingredients
Forkwa Tengweh Fombong,
John Kinyuru,
Jeremiah Ng’ang’a,
Monica Ayieko,
Chrysantus Mbi Tanga,
Jozef Vanden Broeck,
Mik Van Der Borght
Affiliations
Forkwa Tengweh Fombong
Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction lab, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
John Kinyuru
Department of Food Science and Technology, Juja (Main) Campus, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62,000, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
Jeremiah Ng’ang’a
Department of Food Science and Technology, Juja (Main) Campus, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62,000, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
Monica Ayieko
School of Agricultural and Food Science, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo-Usenge Road, P.O. Box 210, Bondo 40601, Kenya
Chrysantus Mbi Tanga
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Jozef Vanden Broeck
Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction lab, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59 Box 2465, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Mik Van Der Borght
Lab4Food, Department of Microbial & Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Kleinhoefstraat 4, B-2440 Geel, Belgium
Edible orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts) are major delicacies, especially across sub-Saharan Africa. Their promotion as food ingredients is increasingly gaining momentum. This study evaluates the nutritional profiles of three widely consumed orthopterans: Gryllus bimaculatus, Locusta migratoria, and Schistocerca gregaria after blanching and oven-drying. All three species had high protein (65.3, 54.2, and 61.4% on a dry matter (DM) basis for G. bimaculatus, L. migratoria, and S. gregaria, respectively) and fat contents. Oleic (22.9–40.8%) and palmitic (26.1–43.0%) were the two most abundant fatty acids. All essential amino acids (in mg/100 g protein) were present, with glutamic acid (120–131), alanine (90.2–123), and leucine (82.3–84.6) being the most abundant. The minerals (in mg/100 g dry matter) potassium (796–1309) and phosphorus (697–968) were moderately high, and iron (4.60–7.31), zinc (12.7–24.9), manganese (0.40–7.15), and copper (1.20–4.86) were also observed in the samples. Vitamin B12 contents were high (0.22–1.35 µg/100 g dry matter). Our findings demonstrate that the excellent nutritional profile of the three processed insects could serve as promising alternative ingredients for improving food and nutritional security.
