Extruded Corn Snacks with Cricket Powder: Impact on Physical Parameters and Consumer Acceptance

Abstract

Edible insects are more and more widely researched and presented as a good source of nutrients. Among the available raw materials, cricket powder (CP), obtained from roasted and crushed crickets, deserves attention because it can be used as an ingredient in many food products. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of CP addition on the physical and sensory properties of extruded corn snacks. In the extrusion process, five variants of corn snacks were produced with 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% additions of CP, and with 8% CP and 2% baking powder. Snacks without CP addition were used as a control (R). The study also evaluated the storage life of the manufactured snack products based on their sorption properties. It was found that increasing the CP content in snacks has a significant effect on their characteristics, with a lower expansion ratio as the result of the higher CP content in the extrudates. CP increased the solubility and decreased the water absorption of the snacks. Color changes were also observed in the produced snacks. The more CP in the recipe, the darker the end product. In addition, the color parameters a* and b* were shifted towards red and blue in cross-sections of snacks with higher percentages of CP. According to the sensory analysis, CP additions up to 6% allow for obtaining sensory-attractive snacks. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the snack parameters, expansion ratio, and water absorption index are of the greatest importance for sensory acceptance. Therefore, when planning the incorporation of CP into this type of product, special attention should be paid to obtaining extrudates with appropriate parameters.

Gluten-free corn cookies fortified with stinging nettle leaf flour: Effect on instrumental properties, storage stability, and health benefits.

“…Control corn cookies had the highest a w (0.51) and 20% nettle corn cookies had the lowest (a w = 0.31). The results are consistent with those of Ruszkowska et al (2022), who obtained water activity ranging between 0.311 and 0.386 when cricket powder was incorporated into extruded corn snacks.…”

Characterisation of Lacto-Fermented Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Flour and Its Influence on the Quality Parameters and Acrylamide Formation in Wheat Biscuits

“…Despite that most of the consumers still do not accept insects' consumption [7], insects, as a food ingredient, are an alternative that is likely to increase consumer's acceptance [8][9][10][11]. Indeed it as reported that the inclusion of insects in the main recipe of products significantly improves their acceptability, and these changes are associated with the modification of volatile compound profiles of the products [12,13], among other technological parameters.…”

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Technology on the Composition and Bioactive Compounds of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Dried with Convective and Infrared–Convective Methods

“…The ever-expanding population, potentially surpassing 11 billion in approximately 30 years, consistently drives the exploration for fresh food sources and innovative production methods [1]. The observed need to increase food production to meet the demand for essential nutrients prompts the search for possible solutions.…”

“…The observed need to increase food production to meet the demand for essential nutrients prompts the search for possible solutions. Also, the increasing costs of food production, climate change, environmental pollution, limited freshwater resources, affect this trend [1][2][3]. This trend is related to the pursuit of alternative and sustainable food sources rich in the complete set of proteins needed in the human diet.…”

“…1 The different letters within rows indicate significant differences between samples (Tukey's HSD, α = 0.05).2.2.2. Acid Value, Peroxide Value, and Oxidative Stability of Fat from the Convective-and Infrared-Convective-Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae…”