Chemistry and Sensory Characterization of a Bakery Product Prepared with Oils from African Edible Insects.

Xavier Cheseto,Segenet Kelemu,Steve B.S Baleba,Baldwyn Torto,Chrysantus M Tanga

doi:10.3390/foods9060800

Xavier Cheseto, Segenet Kelemu + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9060800

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Abstract

Globally, there is growing interest to integrate insect-derived ingredients into food products. Knowledge of consumer perception to these food products is growing rapidly in the literature, but similar knowledge on the use of oils from African edible insects remains to be established. In this study, we (1) compared the chemistry of the oils from two commonly consumed grasshoppers, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria and the African bush-cricket Ruspolia differens with those of olive and sesame oils; (2) compared the proximate composition of a baked product (cookie) prepared from the oils; (3) identified the potential volatiles and fatty acids contributing to the aroma and taste; and (4) examined acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP) for the baked product among consumers with no previous experience of entomophagy. Our results showed that the insect oils were compositionally richer in omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids, and vitamin E than the plant oils. Proximate analysis and volatile chemistry revealed that differences in aroma and taste of the cookies were associated with their sources of oils. Consumers’ acceptance was high for cookies prepared with R. differens (95%) and sesame (89%) oils compared to those with olive and S. gregaria oils. Notably, cookies prepared with insect oils had more than 50% dislike in aroma and taste. Consumers’ willingness to pay for cookies prepared with insect oils was 6–8 times higher than for cookies containing olive oil, but 3–4 times lower than cookies containing sesame oil. Our findings show that integrating edible insect oils into cookies, entices people to ‘‘take the first step” in entomophagy by decreasing insect-based food products neophobia, thereby, contributing to consumers’ acceptance of the baked products. However, future research should explore the use of refined or flavored insect oils for bakery products to reduce off-flavors that might have been perceived in the formulated food products

Highlights

A recent report by the United Nations estimates the increase in the world’s population to reach9.7 billion in 2050 from the current 7.7 billion, with most increases occurring in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double by 2050, representing a 99%increase [1]
We identified 8 flavonoids (Table 2), of which, 4 (50%) each were identified in the oils of the edible insects R. differens and S. gregaria, compared to the plant sesame (3) and olive (2) oils
The results suggest that the presence of fatty acids, higher levels of flavonoids, and vitamin E in the insect than plant oils could serve as potential suitable biomarkers for their nutritional qualities for use as food ingredients

Summary

Introduction

A recent report by the United Nations estimates the increase in the world’s population to reach9.7 billion in 2050 from the current 7.7 billion, with most increases occurring in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double by 2050, representing a 99%increase [1]. 9.7 billion in 2050 from the current 7.7 billion, with most increases occurring in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double by 2050, representing a 99%. Insects represent promising and sustainable alternatives as proposed by various agencies including the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for their inclusion. At the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), we have successfully developed technologies for mass production of several species of edible insects and demonstrated their technical and economic feasibility as protein-based ingredients for food and feeds [12,13]. The production of insects as food and feed translates into a better ecological footprint, but it significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions, as well as water and land requirements compared to beef and other livestock [4,5]

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