According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, at least 2 billion people rely on insects for food. Despite this, fried grasshoppers remain difficult to find in the Western world.
Insects are a sustainable food source, often rich in protein. So scientists are developing ways to make insects more palatable.
Korean researchers recently took it a step further, developing the perfect “meaty” texture by cooking mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) in sugar. According to a press release, the scientists believe mealworms “may one day serve as a tasty source of extra protein in processed foods.”
In the study, lead researcher In-hee Cho, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Biotechnology at Wonkwang University in South Korea, led a team of scientists to compare the odors of mealworms throughout their life cycle.
The researchers found that each stage—egg, larva, pupa, adult—emits a scent. For example, raw larvae emit “an aroma of damp earth, shrimp, and sweet corn.”
The scientists then compared the flavours produced by cooking mealworm larvae in different ways. Frying mealworms in oil produces flavour compounds including pyrazines, alcohols and aldehydes (organic compounds) that are similar to those produced when cooking meat and seafood.
A member of the research team then tested different production conditions and ratios of powdered mealworms and sugar. This creates different reactive flavours that arise when the protein and sugar are heated. The team then showed the different samples to a group of volunteers, who gave their opinions on which sample tasted the most ‘meaty’.
Ten reaction flavors were selected. The higher the garlic powder content in the reaction flavor, the more positive the rating. The higher the methionine content in the reaction flavor, the more negative the rating.
The researchers said they plan to continue studying the effects of cooking on mealworms to reduce the undesirable taste.
Cassandra Maja, a PhD student in the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Physical Education at the University of Copenhagen who was not involved in the new study, said this type of research is crucial to figuring out how to prepare mealworms to appeal to the masses.
”Imagine walking into a room and finding that someone has just baked chocolate chip cookies. A tempting smell can increase the acceptability of a food. For insects to be widespread, they must appeal to all the senses: textures, smells, and tastes.”
– Cassandra Maja, PhD, Research Fellow, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Physical Education, University of Copenhagen.
According to the World Population Fact Sheet, the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. That’s a lot of people to feed.
“Sustainability is a big driver of edible insect research,” Maya said. “We need to explore alternative proteins to feed a growing population and ease the strain on our current food systems.” They require fewer resources than traditional animal agriculture.
A 2012 study found that producing 1 kilogram of insect protein requires two to 10 times less agricultural land than producing 1 kilogram of protein from pigs or cattle.
Mealworm research reports from 2015 and 2017 show that the water footprint, or amount of fresh water, per ton of edible mealworms produced is comparable to that of chicken and 3.5 times lower than that of beef.
Similarly, another 2010 study found that mealworms produce less greenhouse gases and ammonia than conventional livestock.
“Modern agricultural practices are already having negative impacts on our environment,” said Changqi Liu, an associate professor and doctoral student in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in the College of Health and Human Services at San Diego State University, who was not involved in the new study.
”We need to find more sustainable ways to meet our food needs. I think this alternative, more sustainable source of protein is a very important part of the solution to these problems.”
– Changqi Liu, Associate Professor, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, San Diego State University
”The nutritional value of mealworms can vary depending on how they are processed (raw or dry), developmental stage, and even diet, but they generally contain high-quality protein comparable to regular meat,” she said.
In fact, a 2017 study shows that mealworms are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), a type of healthy fat classified as a source of zinc and niacin, as well as magnesium and pyridoxine, nuclear flavin, folate, and vitamin B-12.
Dr. Liu said he would like to see more studies like the one presented at ACS, which describes the taste profile of mealworms.
”There are already aversion factors and barriers that prevent people from eating insects. I think understanding the taste of insects is very important for developing products that are acceptable to consumers.”
Maya agrees: “We need to continue to explore ways to improve the acceptability and inclusion of insects like mealworms in the daily diet,” she says.
”We need the right laws to make edible insects safe for everyone. For mealworms to do their job, people need to eat them.”
– Cassandra Maja, PhD, Research Fellow, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Physical Education, University of Copenhagen.
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Post time: Dec-24-2024