Effect of Acheta domesticus (house cricket) addition on protein content, colour, texture, and extrusion parameters of extruded products

Fatty Acid Enrichment of Corn Extrudates with Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds (HSs) are a rich source of essential fatty acids, proteins, and antioxidant compounds, making them an attractive ingredient for the food industry. This work studies the viability of enriching corn extrudates with hemp seeds, specifically to improve their fatty acid profile and phenolic content, thereby enhancing the nutritional value of the snack. Extrudate formulations with different concentrations of HSs (up to 12.5%) were evaluated, and the physicochemical, textural, and antioxidant properties of the resulting products were analyzed. The results showed that increasing the HS concentration improved the lipid profile of the products, raising the content of unsaturated fatty acids to 75.6% in the snack fortified with 12.5% of HSs and lowering the proportion of saturated fatty acids. This may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases compared with corn extrudates. The total phenolic content of the snacks and their antioxidant capacity also increased linearly with the increase of HSs in the formulation. A reduction in specific mechanical energy during extrusion was also observed, attributed to the higher fat content, which facilitates the lubrication of the process. At the physicochemical level, the HS-enriched snacks showed improvements in texture. These snacks were softer, reducing the hardness of the corn snack while maintaining crunchiness. They were even more stable due to a lower water content. The fortification of snacks with hemp seeds provides consumers with a healthier option, while maintaining the appealing crunchy texture and visual appearance regardless of some changes in their color attributes.

Plant-based Meat Analogs: Perspectives on Their Meatiness, Nutritional Profile, Environmental Sustainability, Acceptance and Challenges

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs) have been the subject of interest over the past few years due to consumers' demand for environmentally friendly, healthful, and non-animal-based foods. A better comprehension of the composition, structure, texture, nutrition, and sustainability of these PBMAs is necessary.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review articulates the protein sources and composition of PBMAs and their "meatiness" with respect to texture, structure, and flavor enhancement. The components used in the analogs, such as unsaturated fats, fibers, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and plant-based oils enriching their nutritional profile, are described. The study identifies the environmental and sustainability impact of PBMAs, as crucial to the survival and maintenance of biodiversity. More studies are warranted to scope and underscore the significance of the analogs and comprehend the texture or structure-function relationships. Further product development and testing thereof may ultimately result in quality meat analogs that respect meat taste, health and acceptance of consumers, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and current challenges.

Assessment of Changes in the Fat Profile of House Cricket Flour during 12 Months of Storage in Various Conditions

Considering Acheta domecticus flour's growing importance and utilization as an ingredient in many food products, research on its storage is essential. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical and nutritional fat profile of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour during storage for 12 months under different storage temperatures (-18 °C, +4 °C, and +20 °C in two variants, with and without access to light). Insect flour was studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The fatty acids content was determined, and dietary indicators were calculated. The acid value, peroxide value, and anisidine value were also determined, and differential scanning calorimetry was performed. The results obtained from spectroscopic analysis of Acheta domesticus flour were consistent with the biochemical data. During the 12-month period of flour storage, the storage temperature significantly influenced the percentage composition of identified groups of fatty acids and the values of all presented ratios and dietary indices. During storage at refrigerated temperatures (-18 °C and +4 °C), no changes were observed in the fatty acid content and dietary indices, indicating that refrigerated temperatures provide oxidative stability to flour during 12 months of storage. Samples stored at 20 °C had higher acid values (AV), peroxide values (PV), and anisidine values (p-AV) compared to samples stored at lower temperatures (4 °C and -18 °C). Simultaneously, an increase in SFA and MUFA, as well as a decrease in PUFA and UFA, was noted in samples stored at room temperature. Storing cricket flour at lower temperatures when the storage period will be more than 12 months is essential to restrict the occurrence of fat oxidation. Elevated temperatures and exposure to light have a notable effect in hastening oxidation mechanisms, reducing thermal resilience, and inducing more pronounced alterations in the quality of fats.

Field Cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) and Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) Powders as Environmentally Friendly Protein Enrichment Ingredients in Corn Snacks

Unconventional protein sources are currently extensively studied as food ingredients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 1.5% and 3% field cricket powder (GB) and 2-8% of its mixture (1:1) with spirulina powder (S) on the nutritional value, physicochemical properties, and sensory characteristics of corn extrudates. Additionally, 2% baking powder (BP) was added to assess its impact on the properties of the enriched extrudates. The results showed that both GB and GB + S improved nutritional value, with protein content increasing by up to 46% and higher levels of essential amino acids, particularly leucine and valine. However, these ingredients decreased the expansion ratio (by up to 15%), colour lightness (by up to 30%), and yellowness (by up to 47%) and increased the hardness (by up to 25%) of the corn extrudates. The S addition positively influenced product storage stability but decreased its sensory acceptance, especially aroma and taste. The BP addition mitigated the negative effects of higher GB and GB + S concentrations, particularly on sensory characteristics. In conclusion, incorporating up to 6% of the GB + S mixture provides a higher protein content with only minor changes to the product's characteristics compared to GB. Ratings exceeding 4.2 points indicate the good acceptability of these snacks.

Insect Protein as a Component of Meat Analogue Burger

Researchers are exploring solutions to meet the growing demand for protein due to the expected increase in global population by 2050. Interest in alternative protein sources like insects has risen, driven by concerns about environmental impact and the need for sustainable food production. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the physicochemical properties of soy-protein-based burgers enriched with insect protein from Alphitobius diaperinus. Three formulations were developed: a control (B0) and burgers with 5% (B5) and 10% (B10) insect protein-Whole Buffalo Powder (WBP). The results showed that adding insect protein decreased the burger analogue's pH. A clear trend was observed of increasing total lipids and saturated fatty acids (SFA) and decreasing monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as the WBP concentration increased from 0% to 10%. No significant differences with increasing WBP concentration in the protein content of the burger analogue, as well as the cooking yield, were noted. The WBP addition had a notable effect on the color change, especially a decrease in brightness (L*). It was shown that as the WBP concentration increased, there were no significant differences in the texture profile of the burger analogues. The formulation with 5% WBP concentration was the most acceptable in sensory analysis.

The Potential of Edible Insects as a Safe, Palatable, and Sustainable Food Source in the European Union

Entomophagy describes the practice of eating insects. Insects are considered extremely nutritious in many countries worldwide. However, there is a lethargic uptake of this practice in Europe where consuming insects and insect-based foodstuffs is often regarded with disgust. Such perceptions and concerns are often due to a lack of exposure to and availability of food-grade insects as a food source and are often driven by neophobia and cultural norms. In recent years, due to accelerating climate change, an urgency to develop alternate safe and sustainable food-sources has emerged. There are currently over 2000 species of insects approved by the World Health Organization as safe to eat and suitable for human consumption. This review article provides an updated overview of the potential of edible insects as a safe, palatable, and sustainable food source. Furthermore, legislation, food safety issues, and the nutritional composition of invertebrates including, but not limited, to crickets (Orthoptera) and mealworms (Coleoptera) are also explored within this review. This article also discusses insect farming methods and the potential upscaling of the industry with regard to future prospects for insects as a sustainable food source. Finally, the topics addressed in this article are areas of potential concern to current and future consumers of edible insects.

Understanding the physical breakdown and catechin bioaccessibility of third generation extruded snacks enriched with catechin using the human gastric simulator

The nutritional quality of third-generation snacks prepared from rice flour by extrusion can be improved by the addition of polyphenols such as catechins, which are known to be more stable at high temperatures. However, the extrusion parameters can impact the breakdown and release of bioactive compounds and decrease the catechin bioaccessibility. Accordingly, this study investigated the impact of different extrusion parameters, including different extrusion temperatures (110, 135, and 150 °C) and moisture content prior to extrusion (27 and 31%), on the breakdown and bioaccessibility of catechin-enriched snacks during in vitro dynamic digestion using the Human Gastric Simulator (HGS). The extrusion parameters did not significantly impact most measured variables by themselves, indicating that within the tested ranges, any of the processing conditions could be used to produce a product with similar digestive behavior. However, the interaction of extrusion parameters (temperature and moisture content) played a significant role in the snack behavior during digestion. For example, the combination of 27% moisture content and 150 °C extrusion temperature had higher catechin bioaccessibility and higher starch hydrolysis than the other treatments. Overall, these findings suggest that the processing conditions of third generation snacks enriched with catechin can be optimized within certain ranges with limited modifications in the digestive properties.

Nutritional Characteristics of New Generation Extruded Snack Pellets with Edible Cricket Flour Processed at Various Extrusion Conditions

As new sources of proteins, edible insects may be excellent additives in a new generation of environmentally friendly food products that are nutritionally valuable, safe, sustainable, and are needed in today's world. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the application of cricket flour on extruded wheat-corn-based snack pellets' basic composition, fatty acids profile, nutritional value, antioxidant activity and selected physicochemical properties. Results showed that the application of cricket flour had a significant impact on the composition and properties of snack pellets based on wheat-corn blends. In newly developed products, the enhanced level of protein and almost triple increase in crude fiber was found as an insect flour supplementation reached 30% level in the recipe. The level of cricket flour and the applied processing conditions (various moisture contents and screw speeds) significantly affect the water absorption and water solubility index and texture and color profile. Results revealed that cricket flour application significantly increased the total polyphenols content in the assessed samples in comparison to plain wheat-corn bases. Antioxidant activity was also noted to be elevated with increasing cricket flour content. These new types of snack pellets with cricket flour addition may be interesting products with high nutritional value and pro-health properties.

Effects of Process Parameters on the Fibrous Structure and Textural Properties of Calcium Caseinate Extrudates

Textured calcium caseinate extrudates are considered promising candidates in producing fish substitutes. This study aimed to evaluate how the moisture content, extrusion temperature, screw speed, and cooling die unit temperature of the high-moisture extrusion process affect the structural and textural properties of calcium caseinate extrudates. With an increase in moisture content from 60% to 70%, there was a decrease in the cutting strength, hardness, and chewiness of the extrudate. Meanwhile, the fibrous degree increased considerably from 1.02 to 1.64. The hardness, springiness, and chewiness showed a downward trend with the rise in extrusion temperature from 50 °C to 90 °C, which contributed to the reduction in air bubbles in the extrudate. Screw speed showed a minor effect on fibrous structure and textural properties. A low temperature (30 °C) in all cooling die units led to damaged structure without mechanical anisotropy, which resulted from fast solidification. These results show that the fibrous structure and textural properties of calcium caseinate extrudates can be effectively manipulated by adjusting the moisture content, extrusion temperature, and cooling die unit temperature.

Techno-Functional Properties of Corn Flour with Cowpea (Vigna unguilata) Powders Obtained by Extrusion

Legumes are a good source of vegetal protein that improves diets worldwide. Cowpea has been used as fortification agents in some traditional corn foods in developing countries such as Colombia. The work aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of extruded mixtures of corn and cowpea flours to assess the use of these mixes as vegetable protein ingredients. Corn flour was mixed with 15, 30, and 50% of cowpea flour and extruded for this proposal. After extrusion, mixtures were ground to produce a powder. Techno-functional properties of powders as water content, hygroscopicity, water absorption, fat absorption, water solubility index, swelling index, bulk density, Hausner ratio, Carr index, and porosity were evaluated in the mixtures, extrudates, and obtained powders to assess the effect of the addition of cowpea on these properties. Results showed that processing powder obtained by extrusion and drying could be used as a powder to regenerate with water as a source of protein. Moreover, storing processing samples in sections (pellet format) is convenient to avoid wetting since this format is less hygroscopic and the same mass occupies less storage volume than powders.

Valorization of Beetroot By-Products for Producing Value-Added Third Generation Snacks

Food waste is becoming a growing and important concern at both local and global levels. One-third of all food production is lost or wasted globally. It is necessary to look for alternatives that allow the use of agri-food waste or byproducts and that can provide value to other foodstuffs. The utilization of beetroot byproducts for producing value-added third generation (3G) snacks was the main aim of this work. These snacks are obtained by indirect expansion by extrusion and later heat expansion. In order to achieve this aim, a corn grits base was used and the influence of water content and beetroot byproduct content effect was studied on expansion kinetics by microwave energy and on texture, colour, extrusion parameters and bioactive compounds of expanded 3G snacks. The microwave expansion kinetics study determined the appropriate time to expand the formulations studied. Samples with higher water content in the mixtures needed more expansion time. In terms of expansion, all samples presented acceptable values; however, samples with 25% water in the mixtures showed better results. Furthermore, these snacks showed more crunchiness and less hardness. Beetroot byproduct incorporation provided additional functional value to the snacks. The betalains and phenols contained in the beetroot byproduct were presented in the expanded snacks and increased the antioxidant capacity of the snacks. With this study, it can be recommended to use 25% water content and 10% beetroot byproduct in corn mixture to obtain a third-generation snack with added value.

The Impact of Insect Flour on Sourdough Fermentation-Fatty Acids, Amino-Acids, Minerals and Volatile Profile

Acheta domesticus (L.1758) has been recently accepted by the European Union as a novel food, being the third insect that has been approved for human consumption. Nowadays, researchers' attention is focused on exploiting new protein sustainable sources, and, therefore, insect flour has gained more and more interest. Organic acids, fatty acids, amino acids, aroma volatile compounds, and minerals were analyzed through HPLC-RID (High-performance liquid chromatography), GC-MS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), LC-MS (Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), ITEX/GC-MS and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry), respectively. Fermentation of the insect flour with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 strain (Lp) leads to an increase in organic acids such as lactic, acetic, and oxalic, whilst citric acid decreases its value. SFA (saturated fatty acids) and MUFA (monosaturated fatty acids) groups were positively influenced by Lp fermentation; meanwhile, PUFA (polysaturated fatty acids) decreased during fermentation. A positive trend was observed for amino acids, aroma volatile content, and minerals enhancement during insect sourdough fermentation, mainly at 24 h of fermentation. Acheta domesticus (A. domesticus) sourdough fermentation represents a new tool that needs to be further exploited aiming to improve the nutritional qualities of the final products.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds from Rosehip-Enriched Corn Extrudates

The rosehip (Rosa canina L.) fruit has gained researchers′ attention due to its rich chemical composition in vitamin C, phenols, carotenoids, and high antioxidant activity; meanwhile, polymers such as pea protein are generally recognized as exhibiting a protection role against the extrusion process. Corn snacks extrudates obtained by replacing corn flour with 10% R. canina powder (R) and 10% R. canina with pea protein (RPP) were evaluated for the physicochemical, textural, optical, and nutritional characteristics. A sample manufactured without R. canina powder was used as a control. Hardness, crispiness, chewiness, and solubility index (WSI) of the final extrudates were improved by addition of R. canina and pea protein powder (PP); meanwhile, b* (yellow/blue coordinate), C (chroma), and h* (tone) optical parameters were significantly different from the control sample (p < 0.05). Extrusion highlighted a negative impact on total phenols, carotenoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity extrudates, while PP exhibited a good protection against the extrusion process. In vitro digestion increased the bioaccessibility of vitamin C, folate, antioxidant activity, total phenols, and total carotenoids mainly on RPP extrudates.

Valorization of Rose Hip (Rosa canina) Puree Co-Product in Enriched Corn Extrudates

Serious issues and challenges of the world’s population are represented by dwindling natural food resources and the scale-up of sustainable food manufacturing. Therefore, the valorization of co-products from the food industry represents new methods for food development. The principal goal of the study was to capitalize rose hip (Rosa canina) co-product powder in extrudates, highlighting its influence on extrusion parameters, physicochemical, and nutritional characteristics. The water absorption index, swelling index, and hygroscopicity increased with the rose hip co-product addition. Furthermore, water solubility index, expansion index, porosity, image parameters (area and perimeter) of the extrudates decreased. Lycopene, β-Carotene, Zea-esters, and lutein were the main carotenoids identified in the extrudates; whereas Catechin, Di-gallic acid, Procyanidin dimmer 1, Procyanidin dimmer 2, and Isorhamnetin-glucuronide were the main flavonoids. Strong Pearson correlations were identified between carotenoids, total flavonoids, vitamin C, total folate, and antioxidant activity. Valorization of the Rosa canina powder co-product led to value-added products—corn extrudates—rich in bioactive compounds.

Effect on Nutritional and Functional Characteristics by Encapsulating Rose canina Powder in Enriched Corn Extrudates

Wild Rose canina fruit represents a rich source of bioactive compounds such as minerals, phenolic compounds, vitamins, carotenoids, folate, and antioxidant activity that still needs to be further exploited. Thus, this study aimed to use wild Rosa canina fruit encapsulated powder with different biopolymers aiming to manufacture ready-to-eat products, such as corn extrudates. To achieve this goal, extrudate physicochemical characteristics, such as water content (x_w), water activity (a_w), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), swelling index (SWE), hygroscopicity (Hy), expansion index (SEI), bulk density (ρ_b), porosity (ε), textural, optical; nutritional; and functional analysis (phenolic acids, flavonoids, ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids, vitamin C, carotenoids, folates, antioxidant activity, and minerals) were determined. Results highlighted that 4 and 8% addition of wild Rose canina fruit encapsulated powder could be successfully used in the corn extrudates, showing the positive influence on its nutritional and functional value. Strong positive Pearson correlations were identified between antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids, carotenoids, folates, and vitamin C of mixtures and extrudates Minerals increased their amount during the extrusion process, reaching the highest values at an addition of 8% rosehip encapsulated with pea protein biopolymer. Furthermore, from the biopolymers used in the present study, pea protein powder exhibited the highest protection on the analyzed bioactive compounds against the extrusion process.

Effect of Medicago sativa Addition on Physicochemical, Nutritional and Functional Characteristics of Corn Extrudates

Currently, extrudates are considered unhealthy products, being characterized as high in calories; rich in fat, sugar, and salt; and low in nutritional compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of lucerne (Medicago sativa) on the physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characteristics of corn extrudates. In order to achieve these goals, water content, water activity, expansion index, bulk density, porosity, hygroscopicity, optical properties, antioxidant activity, individual phenolic acids, folates, individual flavonoids, and volatile compounds were analyzed. The results showed that the typical characteristics of corn extrudates such as expansion, crunchiness, and density were maintained with 10% lucerne addition, highlighting a strong negative Pearson correlation (p < 0.05) between all studied parameters and lucerne addition. On the other hand, the lucerne addition caused a linear increase of bioactive compounds, showing positive Pearson correlations between flavonoids, folates, and antioxidant activity. The volatile profile of corn extrudates improved with the addition of lucerne leading to volatile compounds such as limonene, β-mircene, and hexanal. Overall, considering the textural, nutritional, and functional characteristics of corn extrudates, we determined that a percentage addition on 10% lucerne could be successfully used in the manufacturing of corn extrudates.

Extrusion cooking of protein-based products: potentials and challenges

Extrusion cooking is receiving increasing attention as technology applied for the production of protein-based products. Researchers in this field showed that proteins from several sources are barely consumed because of their poor functionality and lack of acceptability related to the presence of some antinutritional factors. In this regard, extrusion is becoming of key importance thanks to its ability to improve protein functional properties. Based on this remarkable advantage, several studies have been published so far providing evidence of the enhanced functional, physicochemical and sensory properties of protein-based extruded products. The objective of the present review is to give a detailed overview of the potential of extrusion for the production of protein-based products. More specifically, the work describes all the studies published so far on vegetable and animal proteins including those recently released applying the technology on insect proteins. The aspects related to the functional properties of the extrudates together with the quality changes occurring during the process are also described to highlight the potential of the technology for future applications.