The study’s objective was to characterize the effects of mealworm powder fortification on ice cream’s properties and nutritional value. The approximate composition and the mineral and fatty acid profiles were analyzed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity and physical properties as well as color were studied. As expected, insect powder substitution increased the protein content from 1.48 ± 0.13% for the control to 3.08 ± 0.22% for the sample with the highest insect substitution. The ash content increased as well. There was also a significant increase in zinc (2.5-fold), magnesium (3-fold), iron (4-fold) and unsaturated fatty acids. The ice cream with the highest percentage of insect powder had the slowest melting rate (0.094 ± 0.04 g/min) but the lowest overrun value (13.10 ± 0.22%) compared with the melting rate (0.145 ± 0.02 g/min) and overrun value (32.58 ± 0.6%) of control ice cream. Moreover, the ice cream turned darker in color. Furthermore, adding mealworm powder caused a significant increase in antioxidant properties as evaluated by ABTS and DPPH scavenging activity. Therefore, using mealworm powder in ice cream gave a product with better characteristics than the control sample, thus demonstrating the possibility of producing high-quality ice cream.

The global population’s increasing demand for sustainable and nutritious food sources has led to the exploration of alternative approaches in livestock production. Edible insects have emerged as a promising solution due to their nutritional composition, including high protein content, balanced fats, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive peptides. Biofermentation offers a viable method to enhance the nutritional value of insect feed. This study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding biofermented feeds derived from less valuable raw materials on the yield and nutritional composition of Zophobas morio larvae. The focus was on assessing fat quality, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and bioactive compounds and monitoring the larvae’s weight and length increases. Three feed types were tested: wheat bran (control), fermented wheat bran, and a mixture of fermented corn and flaxseed in a five-week period. The findings demonstrated a noteworthy (p < 0.05) elevation in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid in Zophobas morio larvae fed with biofermented corn and flaxseed pomace, both pre- and postculinary treatment, as compared to the control group. The study also showed increased chelation of Cu²⁺ (p < 0.05) and Fe²⁺ (p < 0.05) between native and roasted insects in the samples without in vitro digestion, as well as increased Cyclooxygenase-1 activity (p < 0.05), indicating improved bioavailability. Additionally, culinary processing led to a reduction in polyphenol content (p < 0.05), antioxidant activity (p > 0.05) except DPPH, and peptide concentration (p < 0.05) in the samples without in vitro digestion.

A wide range of gluten-free bakery products are already available on the market. However, they often have a low proportion of fiber and inferior sensory properties when compared to classic baked goods. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the addition of different types of fiber and insect powder on selected organoleptic and nutritional properties of gluten-free bread and to reformulate a recipe for gluten-free bread. Twenty-four experimental samples were prepared with different types and percentages of fiber, either alone or in combination. Sensory analysis, instrumental texture analysis, and chemical analyses, including predicted glycemic index, were carried out. A total of 16 of the 24 fiber-enriched samples received an average or slightly above-average rating. The samples containing the fiber mixture without insect powder and the sample containing 9% flaxseed performed best in the overall evaluation. The combination of different types of plant fibers simultaneously with the incorporation of insect powder in a low concentration appears to be advantageous, both from the viewpoint of sensory acceptability and also from the viewpoint of the potential for increasing the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity. This study lists the sensorially acceptable range of fiber concentrations, which can be a guide for the bakery industry.

Edible insects have been officially classified as food in the European Union since 2015. Currently, four insect species are approved for food use. However, no official method for detecting insects in food has been recognized to date. To establish a simple analytical method for insect detection in food, we developed an indirect sandwich (enzyme-linked lectin sorbent assay) ELLA specific for N-acetylglucosamine in chitin and chitosan polymers. The validation of the method demonstrated that the ELLA developed in this study is reliable for insect detection. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.006 and 0.028 mg/mL, respectively. Intra-day precision ranged from 2.45% to 30.29%, and inter-day precision from 0.36% to 12.87%. Significant differences in the total amount of chitin and chitosan were observed among the insect products, processed insect products, and samples without any insect addition (p < 0.05).

The use of insects is a modern trend in the food industry with a positive impact on ecology and sustainability. Not only the popularity of eating whole insects is growing among consumers, but also products with an insect component are preferred more. It is also used in foods for special nutrition. Gluten-free bar made with cricket powder can represent a functional food stuff. The study shows that the addition of insects can increase the Total Polyphenol Content (24.78 mg GAE/ 100 g to 44.68 mg GAE/ 100 g) (p < 0.05). There is also an increase in antioxidant activity expressed as scavenging activity (%) for ABTS from 7.33 to 50.17, for DPPH 4.10 to 33.88 (p < 0.05). The influence of cricket powder was also recorded in the moisture content of the product, when the increased addition of insects led to a decrease in moisture content (R=0.89). Sensory evaluation showed overall acceptability for these bars. Texture, taste, appearance, aroma and overall pleasantness were compared. Although the protein bars without cricket content (Ctrl) had the highest overall pleasantness rating, it differed statistically significantly (p < 0.05) only from the sample with the highest cricket powder content (B25I).