Unusual aspects of the fat content of mealworm larvae as a novel food

Abstract

The work focuses on some aspects of content and properties of the fat in mealworm as a novel food. The total fat content of this species is a markedly variable nutritional value that is significantly dependent on the breeding conditions. In this work, the fat content of a mealworm from various Czech suppliers ranged from 202 g.kg-1 to 282 g.kg-1 dry matter, determined using the Soxhlet extraction method. The total average value from all suppliers was 235.8 ±40.8 g.kg-1. This is a range that can be expected by the customer when buying mealworm larvae from a random Czech supplier. Furthermore, the work graphically compares the values of the total fat content with other comparable commodities of animal origin, e.g. chicken or fish. Finally, the aim was to obtain initial information about the comparison of the sensory properties of the mealworm fat with other fats of animal origin using a simple electronic nose. There was a difference between the fat obtained from insect larvae and the conventional unprocessed fats. This work brings a wider view of fat as a taste carrier in a new food - a mealworm.

Insect Fat in Animal Nutrition – A Review

“…The second largest component of the lipids of insects is phospholipids, which consist mainly of cell membrane structures (Ekpo et al, 2009). However, the contents of the FAs of the lipids stored depend mainly on species, feeding type and the development stage of the insects (Ziegler, 1997;Lorenz, 2001;Pontes et al, 2008;Adámek et al, 2019;Ewald et al, 2020).…”