Chemical and Microbiological Characterization of Freeze-Dried Superworm (Zophobas morio F.) Larvae Pretreated by Blanching and Ultrasound Treatment
2024
Radosław Bogusz | Anna Onopiuk | Klara Żbik | Katarzyna Pobiega | Iga Piasecka | Małgorzata Nowacka
Edible insects may solve the current problem of the greater demand for food for the world&rsquo:s growing human population. This work aimed to examine the impact of blanching (BL) and ultrasound (US) at 20 and 50 °:C as a pretreatment method on the chemical composition, mineral composition, FTIR spectra, presence of allergens and microorganisms, and properties of the isolated oil of freeze-dried superworm larvae. The US treatment resulted in significantly lower protein content (31.65&ndash:33.34 g/100 g d.m.) compared to untreated (36.38 g/100 g d.m.) and BL (37.72 g/100 g d.m.) samples. The study demonstrated that the US-treated insects exhibited a lower content of crustacean and mollusk allergens than the BL insects, and the lowest content of tested allergens was found in the US_50°:C superworm larvae. Furthermore, oil isolated from US_50°:C insects exhibited the lowest SFA and the highest PUFA content and the best prospective nutritional properties expressed through theoretical health indices. The presence of Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobic spore-forming bacteria was not detected in the tested insects, proving suitable microbiological quality. It appears that using US treatment is a promising alternative to traditional blanching of insects before drying.
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