Quality and nutritional evaluation of bakery products enriched with cricket meal

The study was focused on the quality and sensory perception of everyday bakery products (buns) enriched by the cricket meal. Rheological properties, nutritional value and amino acid profile of bakery dough and buns were investigated before and after enrichment with two types of cricket meal (spray-dried light meal and oven-dried dark meal) at the level of substitution of 0, 5, 8 and 10%. Rheological differences were observed between the wheat dough and the dough enriched with cricket meal. The enriched dough showed decreased stability and worsened consistency after 12 minutes of the measurement resulting in the softening of the dough. The addition of cricket meal changed the dough's leavening ability, resulting in a lower specific volume and reduced height compared to the wheat dough without cricket meal. Significant differences were observed in the sensory evaluation between wheat buns (without cricket meal) and those enriched with cricket meal, particularly in terms of brown colour intensity, odour acceptability, toughness, taste intensity, and overall acceptability. Buns with 8% and 10% cricket meal had nutty, earthy and bean-like flavours. Replacement of wheat flour by 8% of cricket meal was considered as optimal, providing favourable sensory attributes and acceptable technological features. Dark cricket meal showed higher amino acid content than the light cricket meal. High levels of amino acid up to fifteen times increase where found in dark cricket meal compared to the wheat flour. Aspartic acid +asparagine value increased 6.92 to 11 times in light and dark cricket meal respectively resulting in higher acrylamide content.