Physicochemical characteristics, volatile components and bioactivities of fermented seasoning sauce produced from cricket (Acheta domesticus) meal

• Novel fermented cricket sauce (FCS) products were produced from house cricket meal. • FCS products showed similar physicochemical characteristics to Thai fish sauces. • FCS products had unique volatile profiles compared to a fish sauce sample (CFSS). • FCS products exhibited improved antioxidant potential compared to the raw material. • A selected FCS product had better anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects than CFSS. This study developed novel fermented seasoning products from house cricket meal using an accelerated process that integrated enzymatic digestion with bacterial fermentation. Two non-pathogenic food-derived bacteria, Staphylococcus piscifermentans TISTR 824 and Halobacillus sp. TISTR 1860, chosen for their ability to grow in Alcalase®-pretreated cricket broth and exhibit proteolytic activity at high salt concentrations (15 % NaCl), were employed as starter cultures for a 12-week fermentation process. The resulting fermented cricket sauce (FCS) products showed values for degree of hydrolysis (∼54.8–56.6 %), pH (∼5.7–6.2), absorbance at 420 nm (∼2.8–4.2) and water activity (∼0.74–0.75) that were similar to Thai fish sauces. The FCS products had unique volatile profiles compared to a commercial Thai fish sauce sample (CFSS) and exhibited improved antioxidant potential compared to the raw material as a competitive alternative to fish sauces. A selected FCS product with the highest antioxidant activities showed better anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects than the CFSS and was classified as a "light in sodium" product. Given its NaCl content, this product should be stable over extended periods without refrigeration. Our results support the use of fermentation to process edible cricket products, thereby enhancing the value of cricket meal and potentially boosting the acceptance and consumption of insect-based foods.