MENDELU team investigates nutritional value of insect-based food additives – Brno Daily

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Scientists from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU) are studying the nutritional benefits of using insect powder in meat products.

Insects are increasingly being discussed as a potential protein source of the future. Small larvae contain a lot of protein and healthy fats, and compared to other livestock, insect farming also seems to have less impact on the environment.

The MENDELU team’s initial results show that adding insect-based products could improve the nutritional value of meat. In the first analysis, the researchers focused on two types of meat products: soft salami and sausages. In addition to the usual ingredients, they also added cricket powder in different proportions before testing the chemical composition and textural properties and conducting a microbiological and sensory analysis of the products.

“One could argue that replacing meat protein with insect protein is counterproductive,” said project leader Adam Kovál from the Institute of Food Technology. “Cricket powder, for example, contains 60% protein in dry matter, while fresh meat, which of course also contains water, has a protein content of about 20%.”

The researchers found that it is better to add the insect ingredients to soft salami, as the powder spreads better there and forms a homogeneous structure. They also found that the additives should not exceed 10% for the product to be sensorially acceptable, as cricket powder is quite aromatic and has an unusual taste and smell. However, according to Kovál, it is only a matter of time before consumers get used to insect additives.

The team’s goal is to develop a recipe that meat product manufacturers can potentially use in their operations. In the future, they also want to focus on other food products, such as baked goods. According to Kovál, products with various insect powder additives could be a permanent part of the range of retail chains within ten years.

The use of insects in food has been permitted by law for several years. In 2015, a regulation was issued that designated insects as a new food. Since 2019, insects have been considered farm animals. There are already Czech farms approved for the production of insects for food purposes. In total, there are about 2,000 species of edible insects, but so far only four have been approved for use.

In addition to the high content of complete proteins, the advantage of insect preparations is that their proteins are easily digestible for humans. Insect breeding is also considered to be very ecological.

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“This is still the subject of research. But the latest data show that insects require little feed and water and also produce less carbon dioxide compared to ordinary farm animals,” said Kovál.

However, insect production is still not a cheap business. According to Kovál, the situation could change if the demand for this type of raw material were to increase significantly. This would make even insect products that are already available cheaper.

“What we see in the shops are mostly insects in their natural form,” Kovál concludes. “It’s all about experience gastronomy. You can buy bags of dried larvae or crickets in different flavours. In this way, manufacturers are trying to make people aware of insects – so that they are no longer afraid of them and are ultimately open to consuming food, for example in the processed form of edible insects.”