Food Protection Trends - November/December 2020 - 407

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE

Robson A. M. Machado1,2* and Jennifer J. Perry1

Food Protection Trends, Vol 40, No. 6, p. 407-412
Copyright© 2020, International Association for Food Protection
2900 100th Street, Suite 309, Des Moines, IA 50322-3855

School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
2
Cooperative Extension, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
1

Variability in the Microbial Profile of Retail Cricket
Powders in the U.S. Retail Market
ABSTRACT
Entomophagy has been touted as one of the solutions
for present and likely upcoming food shortages, especially
of protein-rich foods, due to the current pace of global
population growth. "Minilivestock" require less water,
space, and other resources compared to traditional
livestock, which makes it an environmentally conscious
option. Nonetheless, the Western world lags behind in the
consumption of insects, and research and standardization
of industrial practices are lacking. One of the most easily
accessible insect-based foods in the United States is
powdered cricket, which can be used as an adjunct to or
substitute for traditional flours. We purchased two lots of
eight brands of cricket powders and assessed their food
quality and protein and fat composition. Counts of aerobic
mesophiles, coliforms, Staphylococcus, fungi, Bacillus,
presumptive Bacillus cereus, and aerobic and anaerobic
spores varied greatly among brands as well as batches
for the same brand. Protein and fat composition were
similar on a g/100 g basis among brands, but the labeled
serving sizes varied from 10 to 36 g, which made nutrition

facts labels vary considerably. Standardization in multiple
aspects, including demonstrated food safety, is paramount
for the future of the industry.

INTRODUCTION
The preference of Western consumers for high-protein
foods has been a sustained trend that has brought novel
ingredients to consumer consciousness and to the
marketplace. In the face of a rapidly changing climate,
dietary sustainability has also become a more commonplace
consideration, with "sustainability stories" playing
a prominent role in ingredient and finished product
marketing. One of the best examples of the convergence
of these trends is the proliferation of products containing
legume or pea protein, often called "plant protein." A
virtually unknown ingredient in 2015, legume protein
is now a prominent ingredient in consumer products,
including dairy-alternative beverages, breakfast cereals, and
macaroni and cheese. Another ingredient existing at the
nexus of sustainable and high-protein diets is insect meal.
Whereas the consumption of insects is neither new nor

*Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 207.581.3144; Email: robson.machado@maine.edu

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