Abstracts Category : Other

Product Development Considerations for a Nutrient Rich Bar Using Cricket (Acheta domesticus) Protein

by Amy Zhong

Insect protein has recently gained attention as an alternate protein source for humans as it is regarded as a sustainable source of protein that is nutritionally comparable to traditional livestock. The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability of a protein bar supplemented with cricket protein. A bar composed of 7.5% cricket powder was compared against a market alternative in a evaluation, food action rating scale (FACT), paired-preference test, and a triangle test. Subjects rated the market bar higher than the cricket bar for appearance (6.591.92; 6.322.05), color (6.371.92; 6.221.84), flavor (6.411.86; 5.462.53), aroma (6.251.50; 5.751.82), texture (6.791.65; 5.951.93), and overall acceptability (6.671.67; 5.752.07). Flavor (<i>p</i>=0.16), texture (<i>p</i>=0.003), and overall acceptability (<i>p</i>=0.004) were rated significantly lower in the cricket bar. Moreover, more subjects indicated in their scores that they would eat the market bar (5.701.64) more frequently than the insect bar (4.662.14). Texture, appearance, aroma, and flavor were all significantly associated (<i>p</i><0.05) with overall acceptability. The majority (61%) of subjects preferred the market bar to the insect alternative. Additionally, 84% of the subjects were able to distinguish the cricket bar from the market alternative. This suggests that products developed using cricket protein powder will need to modify the sensory attributes accordingly to successfully integrate edible insects in the diet of the western society.