Comparative Study on the Incorporation of Lesser Mealworm (<i>Alphitobius diaperinus</i>) and House Cricket (<i>Acheta domesticus</i>) Powders into Shortbread Cookies: Effects on Physical, Chemical and Sensory Properties

Edible insects have the potential to serve as a valuable and innovative source of nutrients. However, their incorporation can affect various product characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using lesser mealworm larvae (LMP) and house cricket imago (HCP) powders in shortbread cookie recipe on their physical, sensory, and nutritional characteristics. The cookies prepared from wheat flour (control) and those with 10% and 20% ( w/w ) of wheat flour replaced by insect powders were analyzed. Additionally, the fat quality and sorption properties of the insect powders were evaluated to determine their impact on the storage stability of the cookies. The results indicated that the chemical composition of both insect powders influenced their sorption properties, contributing to their good storage stability Nevertheless, the changes caused by the incorporation of LMP were more pronounced than those caused by HCP. The insect powders improved the nutritional value of the cookies, notably increasing protein content (2.1 times for cookies with 20% LMP replacement) and essential fatty acid levels (3.3 times for cookies with 20% LMP replacement), compared to control. However, it diminished oxidative stability of the fat in cookies (with a 25.9% shorter induction time for 20% LMP cookies) and their sensory characteristics (primarily ratings of color, taste, and aroma were lower by 32.4–65.2%). Generally, the cookies with a 10% LMP replacement achieved consumer acceptability comparable to those with 20% HCP, suggesting that a lower level of LMP is preferable in the recipe compared to the HCP level. Overall, LMP could be deemed a promising ingredient for the pastry industry; however, further research is needed to enhance the sensory characteristics and shelf-life of products enriched with this insect powder.