Mineral profile of cricket powders, some edible insect species and their implication for gastronomy

Abstract

Entomophagy is proclaimed as a sustainable nutritional strategy due to the high protein content in edible insects. As it turns out, it may also represent an effective tool for increasing dietary intake of nutrients that are frequently deficient. Cricket powder (CP) appears to be the simplest way. The objectives of this work were to determine the contents of fourteen minerals in CPs and in insect species namely, house cricket, yellow mealworm, desert locust, and superworm. To assess these insect species as sources of minerals with respect to the dietary recommended values (DRV) for some minerals, and to determine mineral enrichment level of some recipes with using CP. Samples were analyzed by means of high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and flame atomic absorption/emission spectrometry. These insect species can be considered as a uniform source of Fe. The species of house cricket, yellow mealworm, and desert locust would provide more than the DRV for Zn, Cu, and P. Replacing 10 % of the wheat flour with CP in bread and pasta recipes increases Zn content by 92-107 %. Finally, the low Cd and Pb contents indicate that the consumption of the given insect species presents no risk.