EFFECT OF CRICKET POWDER ADDITION ON TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND QUALITY OF SAUSAGES

Edible insects are increasingly explored as alternative protein sources for the feed and food industry due to their potential for sustainable, high-quality protein production. The use of a powdered form of an insect in a ready-to-eat food can increase the willingness to consume insects. This study evaluates the chemical composition, colour, texture and sensory properties of sausages with the addition of cricket powder (3%, 6%, and 12% of cricket powder). The addition of cricket powder significantly increased the protein content of the sausages (p < 0.05). As the addition of cricket powder increased, the sausages became darker both on the surface and on the cut (p < 0.05). The textural properties were not affected by the addition of cricket powder (p > 0.05). For sensory descriptors, sausages without cricket powder scored the highest, and the scores decreased as the amount of cricket powder increased (p < 0.05) except odour where no significant differences were found (p < 0.05). The results showed that cricket powder can be used at lower levels in meat products without affecting sensory quality.