Edible insect processing pathways and implementation of emerging technologies

Abstract

The processing of insects is paramount to deliver safe and high quality raw materials, ingredients and products for large-scale food and feed applications. Depending upon the nature of the initial material and the desired end product, the processing pathways vary and may include several unit operations currently already used in food and feed processing. Insect processing pathways can involve harvesting, pre-processing, decontamination, further processing, packaging and storage. Several traditional and industrial decontamination methods have been proposed for edible insects, which include smoking, drying, blanching/boiling, marination, cooking, steaming, toasting and their combinations. Further processing steps are employed to produce insect meal, insect flour or extracted insect fractions. Each operation will have a different impact on the chemical and microbiological properties of the final product. Novel food processing technologies (e.g. high pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultrasound and cold plasma) have shown potential to modify, complement or replace the conventional processing steps in insect processing. These technologies have been tested for microbial decontamination, enzyme inactivation, drying and extraction. Further, these are considered to be environmentally friendly and may be implemented for versatile applications to improve the processing efficiency, safety and quality of insect based products. Future research focuses in insect processing are development of efficient, environmentally friendly and low-cost processes; waste minimisation and incorporation of by-products/co-products.

Advancing edible insects as food and feed in a circular economy

“…Several industrial technologies are used for processing, such as grinding, separation and drying (Sindermann et al, 2021). Then in the chapter of Ojha et al (2021).in this issue the extraction and utilisation of insect protein, lipid and chitin as well as novel processing technologies are discussed…”

“…In addition to unit operations already traditionally used in food processing, emerging technologies such as high hydrostatic pressure processing, ultrasound, cold plasma or pulsed electric fields have shown potential for insect processing. In their review, Ojha et al (2021) give an overview of traditional and future processing pathways and technologies for insect processing. This ranges from pre-processing (harvesting, cleaning, killing) through decontamination to packaging and storage.…”

“…The main challenges of insect processing include developing efficient, sustainable, and low-cost processing technologies, waste minimisation, recovery, and incorporation of byproducts/co-products (Ojha et al, 2021). Novel foodprocessing technologies should improve the processing efficiency, safety, quality, and sustainability of insect-based products, although the know-how required and the high costs are still hurdles.…”

Novel Insights on the Sustainable Wet Mode Fractionation of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) into Lipids, Proteins and Chitin

“…Perhaps wet mode fractionation could be an ideal alternative to the dry mode, as the insect biomass can be pretreated chemically with organic acids [23] or enzymatically with protease or chitinase enzymes to obtain functional ingredients. In addition, emerging novel processing techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure extraction [47], high-pressure homogenization, high-pressure processing, ultrasound, cold plasma [48] and pulsed electric field pretreatment-based insect biorefinery [49] could aid in generating functional ingredients from BSFL.…”

Introducing the special issue: ‘Advancement of insects as food and feed in a circular economy’

“…These food and feed safety issues will have a direct effect on legislative issues and regulatory frameworks (Lähteenmäki-Uutela et al, 2021). The technique of processing is reviewed (Sinderman et al, 2021) as are processing pathways and the extraction and utilisation of insect proteins, lipids and chitins (Ojha et al, 2021). The final part of the special issue deals with consumer issues: how to design quality insect products (Reverberi, 2021) and how to convince consumers to buy insect products (Wassmann et al, 2021).…”