Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies

Edible insects are an important source of proteins, fat, and chitin, which need to be extracted to develop tailored products with a controlled composition. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) is a non-thermal technology that can enhance the extraction. This study explores the effect of PEF on the extraction of protein, fat and chitin from cricket flour, as well as the material's functional properties. House crickets ( Acheta domesticus ) were treated with PEF at several conditions (4.9–49.1 kJ/kg). PEF treatment with 4.90 kJ/kg increased the extraction yields of protein (>18%) and fat >40%), while the treatment at 24.53 kJ/kg increased the oil binding and emulsifying capacity and antioxidant activity of the cricket flour by 28.10, 64.88 and 58.20%, respectively. Water binding capacity and foaming capacity were not affected by the PEF treatment. These results outline PEF as a suitable pretreatment for the valorization of house cricket biomass with possible industrial application. • PEF treatment caused a maximum increase of protein and fat yield by 18.62% and 41.75%, respectively. • PEF improved techno-functional properties by increasing oil binding and emulsifying capacity over 40 and 70%, respectively. • PEF affected positively chitin (10 g/100 g d.w.) structure.

Effect of pulsed electric fields on cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour: Extraction yield (protein, fat and chitin) and techno-functional properties