Dados do Trabalho

Título

WHEAT BREAD ENRICHMENT THROUGH THE INCLUSION OF BLACK SOLDIER FLY (Hermetia illucens) LARVAE POWDER

Introdução

In order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the environmental footprint of food production, it is imperative to seek out alternative sources of nutritious food. Edible insects are a promising option, as they require less resources to rear, leading to lower greenhouse emissions. Additionally, insects have been shown to contain high levels of protein, lipids, and minerals making them a sustainable and nutritious choice for diversifying food sources. In this sense, this study aimed to produce enriched wheat bread with powder from the Black Soldier Fly larvae, BSFL.

Material e Métodos

Were developed 11 formulations that contained fixed amounts of wheat flour (100%), salt (2%), yeast (3%), and BSFL powder (15%) and variable amounts of mono- and diglycerides (0 – 0.8 %), ascorbic acid (0 – 200 ppm) and water (50 – 70 %), according to a 2³ factorial design. The insect powder and the bread composition (moisture, protein, lipid, ash) were analyzed. Breads were also analyzed regarding their specific volume, texture, baking loss, color and crumb structure. Principal component analysis was used to compare the different samples.

Resultados e Discussão

The BSFL powder presented high protein (42.5%, dry weight), lipid (28.7%, dry weight) and ash content (6.8%, dry weight), highlighting its nutritional potential. These results were reflected in the enriched bread, which showed a 48% increase in the protein content, 21 times in the lipid content and 1.5 times in the ash content, in comparison with the control without insect powder. Samples with the higher water content (70%) showed the highest specific volume (3.34 – 3.55 cm3.g-1) and lowest hardness (705 – 1030 N), however, they exhibited poor crumb uniformity. Samples with 60% water content had similar hardness (1635 – 1798 N) and volume (2.63 – 3.04 cm3.g-1) than those of the control (1600 N and 2.62 cm3.g-1, respectively), with acceptable crumb structure.

Conclusão

Additionally, samples with mono- and diglycerides showed delayed staling. Overall, results show that it is possible to enhance wheat bread nutritional composition through the inclusion of the BSFL powder, while maintaining acceptable quality by controlling water content and including additives such as mono- and diglycerides and ascorbic acid.