Insight into the proximate composition and microbial diversity of edible insects marketed in the European Union

Transferable Antibiotic Resistances in Marketed Edible Grasshoppers (Locusta migratoria migratorioides)

“…This latter finding could be ascribed to thermal treatment (boiling) endured by grasshoppers during processing, whereas the moderately high counts of total mesophilic aerobes are likely due to the occurrence of postprocessing contamination events or to the growth of spore‐forming bacteria after spore germination induced by heat treatment. Total mesophilic aerobes counts of the samples produced in The Netherlands and in Belgium were nearly in agreement with those reported by Milanović and others () and Osimani and others () for ready‐to‐eat grasshoppers produced in the same countries. To the authors’ knowledge, no other published data are available on the microbial loads of boiled and dried ready‐to‐eat grasshoppers, with only a few available studies (Ali and others ; Stoops and others ) reporting viable counts of total mesophilic aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae , lactic acid bacteria, bacterial endospores, and fungi for fresh or fried grasshoppers.…”

“…Because they are rich in proteins and micronutrients, such as Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cu, grasshoppers represent a potential food source (Anand and others ). To date, only a very small number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the microbial population within grasshoppers that are intended for human consumption (Giaccone ; Ali and others ; Klunder and others ; Osimani and others ; Stoops and others , Garofalo and others ). Even less investigated is the occurrence of transferable resistance in grasshopper food products available on the European market (Milanović and others ).…”

“…Pathogenic bacteria or potential pathogens, such as Bacillus cereus , Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli , Klebsiella aerogenes , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus , have already been detected in marketed edible insects (Banjo and others ; Templeton and others ; Wales and others ; Ali and others ; Rumpold and Schlüter ; Osimani and others ), together with commensal bacteria (Belluco and others ; Grabowski and Klein ) and spoilage fungi (Mpuchane and others ; Mpuchane and others ).…”

Improvement of techno-functional properties of edible insect protein from migratory locust by enzymatic hydrolysis

“…Species belonging to the order Orthoptera such as locusts, grasshoppers and crickets were reported to exhibit highest average protein concentrations up to 77% db (dry base) among all insect orders [5]. Next to mealworm species, crickets and the black soldier fly, the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria L.) is among the most promising candidates for the integration of edible insects in western food and feed industry due to auspicious crude protein content of 65% db, well-balanced amino acid profile and already existing rearing know-how on a commercial scale for pet food or even human nutrition [6][7][8][9][10].…”

Effect of pre-treatment and drying method on physico-chemical properties and dry fractionation behaviour of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor L.)

“…In addition, insects may have the potential to be used for the valorization of food by-products and waste [4,5]. Compositional data of edible insects and products thereof have indicated auspicious crude protein and fat contents of up to 77% on dry base highly dependent on the regarded order, species, metamorphic stage, diet, and habitat [6][7][8]. Furthermore, insects` biological properties such as high fecundity, multivoltine life cycle, high feed conversion ratio, Abstract Edible insects have emerged as an alternative source for feed and food.…”