The use of edible insects to replace meat protein is important to ensure future
global food security. However, processed foods using edible insects require
development to enhance consumer perception. Here, we examined the
physicochemical characteristics and rheological properties of emulsions prepared
from different edible insect larvae. Three edible insect species
(
Tenebrio molitor, Allomyrina dichotoma
and
Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis
) were used to prepare
larval emulsions that were formulated with 65% of insect larvae, 20% of pork
back fat, and 15% ice. The
A. dichotoma
emulsion had the
highest pH and lightness, redness, and yellowness values, while the
T.
molitor
emulsion had the lowest pH and lightness, redness, and
yellowness values. The
T. molitor
emulsion had the highest
hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity values but the lowest
springiness and cohesiveness values. According to the sodium dodecyl
sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis,
T.
molitor
had the thickest bands, followed by
P. brevitarsis
seulensis
. The differential scanning calorimetry distributions for
the
T. molitor
and
A. dichotoma
emulsions
showed one peak, while that of the
P. brevitarsis seulensis
emulsion had two peaks. The collective results suggest that
T.
molitor
was the most suitable candidate (of the three tested
species) for use as a meat replacement in terms of its physicochemical and
rheological properties. It is important that such properties of insect-based
emulsions are maintained using various technologies.