Blanching pre-treatment on quality characteristics of cricket powder

Cricket powder (CP) is a valuable cricket-based product that has recently been developed and applied in many food products. Postharvest insect processing has a significant impact on CP quality. In this study, the effects of blanching pre-treatment at different temperatures (80, 90, and 100°C) and times (5, 10, and 15 mins) were investigated on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of two edible crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus and Acheta domesticus) powders. CP preparation without blanching treatment served as the control. CP obtained from blanching at 80°C for 10 mins increased protein and fiber content but decreased fat content compared to unblanched CP in both species. CP contained histamine at lower than 4 µg/g. Blanching at 80°C for 10 mins gave the highest total phenolic content (TPC) (150.0 and 258.4 mg GAE/g for G. bimaculatus and A. domesticus, respectively) and the highest antioxidant activities in all assays (DPPH, ABTS•+, and FRAP). Compared to unblanched CP, blanching crickets also reduced the total microbial load in both CPs. Results suggested that blanching as a pre-treatment improved the safety, functional properties, antioxidant activity of cricket powder.