Edible Insects in Novel Food Products

Meat and bakery products are among the main insect-based foods. One of the principal aspects observed is the improvement of the nutritional properties, mainly the significant increase in protein content and polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, as entomophagy is not common in all cultures worldwide, developing novel formulations applying edible insects is a challenging step. Incorporating edible insects in their unrecognized form might be an ally in improving the acceptance of consumers who are not familiar with them. Also, as reported by the literature, adding insect-based ingredients causes physicochemical and sensory alterations. Regarding the nutritional properties, adding dried ingredients, such as flour, causes a substantial decrease in the moisture and, consequently, impacts sensory attributes. The moisture content is inversely proportional to hardness, affecting the texture profile and decreasing consumer acceptance. Color is another crucial sensorial aspect, affected by the pigments present in the insects, consequently influencing the overall acceptance. Technological and functional properties, such as water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and protein solubility, are also influenced. Therefore, it becomes clear that industry and researchers must focus on developing techniques to mitigate the drawbacks of this promising ingredient, making these novel formulations affordable worldwide. Extraction is a promising technique to surpass some of these barriers. However, extracting molecules is a challenging step for industry and researchers. The most used method is alkaline extraction, which presents some drawbacks. In this respect, literature has focused on applying some nonconventional methods for extracting protein, oils, and bioactive compounds, such as ultrasound, enzyme-assisted, and microwave-assisted extraction; however, these technologies lack optimization to enhance the efficiency of the process. In this context, strategies to strengthen acceptability must be designed based on a multidisciplinary approach. Personal characteristics, familiarity, social influence, and preparation methods guide the willingness to eat insects. In addition, further research is needed to elucidate the risks associated with biological, chemical, and physical contaminants.