Fermentation of edible insects

Interest exists in Western countries in the consumption of edible insects (entomophagy) and insect-based food products are being marketed. Further growth of the market is hampered by the pale taste and poor shelf life of fresh insects. Fermentation of insects is likely to provide a solution. The aim of the project is to provide proof-of-concept i.e. that a starter culture can colonize insects and provide them with a better and/or stronger taste and longer shelf life. Commercial starter cultures will be screened for their ability to ferment insects. Different fermentation procedures will be evaluated. Fermentations will be monitored by microbial counts, Next Generation Sequencing and rate of acidification. The fermentation end products will be subjected to sensory analysis as well  as organic acid and aroma profiling.

Keywords:edible insects, starter culture, shelf life, fermentation, taste

Disciplines:Biomaterials engineering, Biological system engineering, Biomechanical engineering, Other (bio)medical engineering, Environmental engineering and biotechnology, Industrial biotechnology, Other biotechnology, bio-engineering and biosystem engineering