Effect of House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Flour Addition on Physicochemical and Textural Properties of Meat Emulsion Under Various Formulations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour addition on physicochemical and textural properties of meat emulsion under various formulations. As an initial marker of functionality, protein solubility, water absorption, emulsifying capacity, and gel formation ability of house cricket flour were determined at pH (2 to 10) and NaCl concentrations (0 to 2.10 M). Control emulsion was formulated with 60% lean pork, 20% back fat, and 20% ice. Six treatment emulsions were prepared with replacement of lean pork and/or back fat portions with spray-dried house cricket flour at 5% and 10% levels, based on a total sample weight. The protein solubility of house cricket flour (67 g protein/100 g) was significantly altered depending upon pH (P < 0.0001) and NaCl concentration (P = 0.0421). Similar water absorption capacity, emulsifying capacity, and gel formation ability of house cricket flour were found between 0 and 2.10 M NaCl concentration (P > 0.05). The replacement of lean meat/fat portion with house cricket flour within 10% level could fortify protein and some micronutrients (phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium) in meat emulsion, without negative impacts on cooking yield and textural properties. Our results suggest that house cricket flour can be used as an effective nonmeat functional ingredient to manufacture emulsified meat products.Keywords: edible insect, functionality, house cricket, meat emulsion, protein solubility Practical Application: To better utilize house cricket flour as a food ingredient in wide application, understanding its technological properties in various pH, and ionic strength conditions is a pivotal step. Protein solubility of house cricket flour would be considerably affected by the varying pH and NaCl concentrations of applied conventional foods. In the case of meat emulsion, within 10% lean meat and/or fat portions could be successfully substituted with house cricket flour without detectable adverse impacts on technological properties associated with cooking yield and instrumental analysis of texture. Thus, our findings suggest that house cricket flour possess the necessary physical properties to be used as an alternative nonmeat ingredient for incorporation within emulsified meat products, which could be further explored in subsequent sensory-based studies.

Contributions of protein and milled chitin extracted from domestic cricket powder to emulsion stabilization

“…Ash content of CP was more than five times greater than ground cricket powder, indicating enrichment of water-soluble minerals ( Table 1 ). Minerals, such as iron, zinc, calcium, and manganese, are naturally present in ground crickets ( Montowska et al., 2019 , Barker et al., 1998 ) and can increase water solubility of proteins ( Kim et al., 2017 ); to assess the functionality of protein in cricket powders, these minerals were therefore not removed from CP.…”

“…S2 ), corresponding to hydrodynamic radii of 4.9–35.6 nm. Assuming protein molecular weight of 25 or 35 kDa ( Kim et al., 2017 ), then these sizes would correspond to small protein clusters. Equilibrium surface pressure was ~26 mN/m at 0.01%, implying that the interface was highly saturated even at low concentration.…”

“…A fraction enriched in non-muscle cricket protein (CP) was extracted from defatted whole cricket powder based upon the approach of Kim and others ( Kim et al., 2017 ). In brief, dry defatted powder was dispersed in ultrapure water (50 g/L), adjusted to pH 9.5 using 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution, and agitated for 18 h. Insoluble residue was removed by centrifugation at 35,267× g for 1 h (Beckman Avanti J-25I, Beckman Coulter; Brea, CA).…”

“…Recent studies have shown comparable emulsifying activity and foaming capabilities of cricket flours and protein isolates when compared to legume flours ( Zielińska et al., 2018 , Stone et al., 2019 ). Cricket powder has been used to supplement or replace protein-rich components in various complex foods, including meat emulsions ( Kim et al., 2017 ), pasta ( Duda et al., 2019 ), and bread ( Osimani et al., 2018 ); protein-nutrition bars containing crickets are also commercially available.…”

“…Only ~20% of the proteins are soluble in pure water, as the water-insoluble fraction includes a large quantity of muscle proteins ( Montowska et al., 2019 , Yi et al., 2013 ). Solubility of 20–35 kDa proteins is increased in alkaline pH conditions with high ionic strength ( Kim et al., 2017 ), allowing extraction with potentially greater yields. Aqueous protein extracts provide modest foam stabilization at pH 3 ( Yi et al., 2013 ) and were better at producing emulsions than heptane-extracted fractions ( Ndiritu et al., 2017 ).…”