Abstract
Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishing stores or towards traditional markets to find exotic insects that are illegal and not sanitarily controlled. From this perspective, this study aims to characterize the microbial load of edible insects found in Belgium (i.e., fresh mealworms and house crickets from European farms and smoked termites and caterpillars from a traditional Congolese market) and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (blanching for all species and freeze-drying and sterilization for European species) in reducing microorganism counts. All untreated insect samples had a total aerobic count higher than the limit for fresh minced meat (6.7 log cfu/g). Nevertheless, a species-dependent blanching step has led to a reduction of the total aerobic count under this limit, except for one caterpillar species. Freeze-drying and sterilization treatments on European species were also effective in reducing the total aerobic count. Yeast and mold counts for untreated insects were above the Good Manufacturing Practice limits for raw meat, but all treatments attained a reduction of these microorganisms under this limit. These results confirmed that fresh insects, but also smoked insects from non-European trades, need a cooking step (at least composed of a first blanching step) before consumption. Therefore, blanching timing for each studied insect species is proposed and discussed.
Highlights
In the context of sustainable development, new methods for production and new food ingredients must be proposed without affecting the quality of food, natural habits, and biodiversity of animal and vegetable species [1,2]
This study is the first to show that processed insects from illegal markets are highly contaminated with microorganisms and, as with fresh insects, require a processing step before consumption. As these insects are available in Belgium, our results show that there is a need for a precise legislative framework on the trade of wild harvested edible insects and standards for their processing, packaging, labeling, and storage, which could result in the establishment of an international certification
This study confirms that a species-specific processing step with an anti-microbial effect is required in order to avoid or minimize risks involved with the consumption of edible insects from European farms, and for edible insects from non-European traditional trades
Summary
In the context of sustainable development, new methods for production and new food ingredients must be proposed without affecting the quality of food, natural habits, and biodiversity of animal and vegetable species [1,2]. In addition to other propositions, such as algae or cultured meat, insects seem to be a promising solution for the future [1,3,4]. As for any other foodstuff, particular attention should be paid to microbiological hazards linked with edible insect consumption [5,6]. Insects are rich in nutrients and moisture and, provide a favorable environment for microbial growth [4,7]. Schabel [8] reported some cases of botulism and other foodborne illnesses linked with the consumption of insects stored in poor conditions in Africa. The consumption of whole insects, with digestive tracts intact, considerably increases
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