Bbosa Tom, Nakimbugwe Dorothy, Matthys Christophe, Devaere Jolien, De Winne Ann, Gunes Deniz Zeynel, Van Der Borght Mik
Research Group for Insect Production and Processing (IP&P), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Kleinhoefstraat 4, 2440 Geel, Belgium.
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda.
Foods. 2025 Aug 20;14(16):2893. doi: 10.3390/foods14162893.
This study assessed the physico-chemical and sensory effects of enriching composite cereal porridges, typically consumed in Uganda, with undried house crickets (), a rich source of protein and vitamin B. Composite flours containing 8.3% undried crickets, 66.7% maize, and 25.0% millet were compared to a control formulation with 73.0% maize and 27.0% millet, both extruded at 140 °C. Cricket enrichment slightly reduced lightness L* (59.99 vs. 61.28) and significantly increased aroma intensity (23,450 × 10 AU vs. 18,210 × 10 AU; < 0.05), attributable to higher extrusion-induced Strecker degradation, Maillard reaction, and lipid oxidation. Rheological analysis revealed that paste made from cricket-enriched flour had lower critical strain (≈0.01%) and softened sooner than the control paste (≈0.03%) without becoming fragile. Both flours displayed stable paste-like behavior at stresses >10 Pa, with elastic moduli under 10 Pa, which is typical for soft pastes. Reduced pasting values relative to native flours are attributable to starch pre-gelatinization during extrusion. Sensory evaluation showed positive hedonic ratings for both porridges, and a choice test indicated no significant consumer preference. Generally, physico-chemical and sensory changes were minimal, supporting the use of house crickets for nutrient enrichment of composite cereal porridges.
本研究评估了用未干燥的家蟋蟀（一种富含蛋白质和维生素B的来源）强化乌干达常见的复合谷物粥所产生的物理化学和感官效果。将含有8.3%未干燥蟋蟀、66.7%玉米和25.0%小米的复合面粉与含有73.0%玉米和27.0%小米的对照配方进行比较，两者均在140°C下挤压。蟋蟀强化略微降低了亮度L*（59.99对61.28），并显著增加了香气强度（23,450×10 AU对18,210×10 AU；P<0.05），这归因于更高的挤压诱导斯特雷克降解、美拉德反应和脂质氧化。流变学分析表明，由富含蟋蟀的面粉制成的糊状物具有较低的临界应变（≈0.01%），比对照糊状物（≈0.03%）更快软化，但不会变脆。两种面粉在应力>10 Pa时均表现出稳定的糊状行为，在10 Pa以下具有弹性模量，这是软糊状物的典型特征。相对于天然面粉，糊化值降低归因于挤压过程中的淀粉预糊化。感官评价显示两种粥的享乐评分均为阳性，选择测试表明消费者没有明显偏好。总体而言，物理化学和感官变化很小，支持将家蟋蟀用于复合谷物粥的营养强化。
