Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Composition of Nut Bars with Addition of Various Edible Insect Flours

Attitudes and purchase intentions of polish university students towards food made from insects-A modelling approach

The marketing of insect-derived protein has led to the development of respective legal regulations on such insects-based foods in the European Union. Despite the interest in the area of insect-based food, European researchers have paid relatively little attention to consumer attitudes and behaviors towards such products or the factors that may affect them. Attempts undertaken so far in this respect are insufficient; therefore, there is a need to continue and expand research in this field. The present study attempts to verify the following research hypotheses: H1. Attitudes towards food containing insects are related to the attributes/characteristics of these products, care for health and the natural environment, and attitudes towards novelty (neophilic/neophobic); H2. Intentions to purchase food containing insects can be predicted based on attitudes towards food from insects, product attributes, and attitudes towards environmental health and novelties. An empirical study was conducted among university students (N = 1063) by an indirect interview method using a specially designed questionnaire, via an online platform (Computer-Assisted Web Interview, CAWI) in November 2023. The questionnaire was validated by assessing the construction validity and estimating the reliability of the scales used. The study results demonstrated that the attributes of insect-based food products can influence the positive attitudes towards them and behavioral intentions to consume them, and that the strength of the impact of health quality traits is far greater than that of the organoleptic or functional traits. A negative, statistically significant value of the correlation coefficient between neophobic attitude and intention to purchase this type of food was observed. Thus, respondents without food neophobia were characterized by a positive attitude towards the purchase of foods containing edible insects in their composition.

Development of Healthy Snacks Incorporating Meal from Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus Using 3D Printing Technology

This study analyzes the nutritional properties of edible insects, specifically Tenebrio molitor and Alphitobius diaperinus, and explores the potential of 3D printing technology to introduce a nutritious and tasty alternative to essential nutrients for Western consumers. An original formulation for the printing of snacks with microalgae was adapted to incorporate edible insects. Concentrations of 10% of edible insects, both isolated and mixed, were incorporated into the developed ink-doughs. Stress and frequency sweeps were performed on the doughs to understand the rheology and the impact on the internal structure to better adapt these materials to the 3D printing process. The nutritional profile of the developed snacks was assessed, revealing a significant amount of protein, enough to claim the snacks as a "source of protein", as well as an increased mineral profile, when compared to the control snack. The antioxidant profile and total phenolic content were equally assessed. Finally, a sensory analysis test was performed, comparing the control snack to three other samples containing 10% T. molitor, 10% A. diaperinus and 5% + 5% of T. molitor and A. diaperinus, respectively, resulting in a preference for the A. diaperinus and for the combination of the two insects. Considered as a "novel food", foods incorporating edible insects represent, in fact, the reintroduction of foods used in the West before the Middle Ages, when the Judeo-Christian tradition began to consider insects as not kosher. Educating consumers about the transition to novel foods can be helped by 3D printing food, as an innovative process that can be used to design creative rich animal protein snacks that make final products more appealing and acceptable to consumers.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties and Sensory Aspects of Sponge Cakes Supplemented with Edible Insect Flours

The chemical composition, antioxidant properties, and sensory aspects of sponge cakes with the addition of flours from edible insects (buffalo worm, cricket, and mealworm) were evaluated. The addition of edible-insect flours increased the protein, fat, and dietary fiber content in all cases. The utilization of edible insects demonstrated a notable augmentation in the phenolic compounds (especially protocatechuic acid and protocatechuic aldehyde, and syringic, ferulic, and sinapic acids). This resulted in an increase in the antioxidant activity measured against the ABTS radical cation, the DPPH radical, and ferric ions. The antioxidant potential, assessed by four different methods, unequivocally confirmed that the aforementioned polyphenolic compounds found in edible insects provide significant radical-scavenging and antioxidant activity in sponge cakes containing them. The polyunsaturated fatty acid contents were significantly lower in cakes with insect flour compared to the standard wheat cakes. Products and raw materials exhibited high values of the n - 6/n - 3 ratio, which may be associated with negative health effects, with a high oleic acid content. The amino acid score (AAS) for the essential amino acids exceeded 100% for all obtained products. The sponge cakes were accepted by consumers and the taste was the most important predictor for overall acceptability, whereas the structure and appearance had less impact.