Cricket flour (or cricket powder) is a protein-rich powder made from
crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
, using various processes. Cricket flour differs from true flours made from grains by being composed mainly of
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
rather than
starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
es and
dietary fiber
Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...
.
Nutritional information
Cricket flour contains nutrients such as the nine
essential amino acids
An essential amino acid, or indispensable amino acid, is an amino acid that cannot be synthesized from scratch by the organism fast enough to supply its demand, and must therefore come from the diet. Of the 21 amino acids common to all life form ...
, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin B12, B2, and fatty acids.
Food safety and processing
In Western countries, when raised for human consumption, insects are held to the same safety standards as any other food.
Processing can be done either commercially or locally depending on the popularity in a particular region. The process begins with removing the insides of the insect, although this step is optional. Then, they are shipped to become preserved or freeze-dried, which is done by using
hessian
A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse.
Hessian may also refer to:
Named from the toponym
*Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire
**Hessian (boot), a style of boot
**Hessian f ...
or
polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.
Polypropylene
belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...
. After they are completely preserved/dried, they are shipped for storage. Insects can be refrigerated or processed into powders.
Cricket flour is made with freeze dried crickets. Then, the crickets are baked to make the processing easier. After they are baked, they are ground into very fine pieces. The freezing, baking, and drying makes a dark brown flour with a powdery texture.
Cost
Prices can vary depending on location, but the average cost of pre-made cricket flour is around $40 per pound (4,200 to 4,800 crickets). The price is high due to limited commercializing and processors. Cricket flour is sold in limited areas, but mainly online and wholesale stores.
The average prices for frozen crickets are about $9 per pound. These can be utilized to make cricket flour at home.
Food products with cricket flour
Pulverized freeze-dried crickets are used in processed food products, such as:
* pasta
* bread
* cookies
* snacks (chips, nachos)
* smoothies
Cricket flour can be utilized as a complete replacement for flour. The taste is described as very nutty, and foods normally prepared with wheat flour may cook differently.
Allergies
People with shellfish allergies may need to use caution when consuming cricket flour. Also, there is a risk of contact with
pathogens
In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...
with consuming raw insects.
See also
*
Insects as food
Insects as food or edible insects are insect species used for human consumption. More than 2,000 insects species worldwide are considered edible. However, a much smaller number is discussed for industrialized mass production and partly regiona ...
*
Pea protein
Pea protein is a food product and protein supplement derived and extracted from yellow and green split peas, ''Pisum sativum.'' It can be used as a dietary supplement to increase an individual's protein or other nutrient intake, or as a substitu ...
*
Hemp protein
Hemp protein is a plant-derived protein from the cannabis plant and is isolated from hemp seeds (a type of nut). The protein in hemp seeds is made up of the two highly digestible globular types of proteins, edestin (60–80%) and 2S albumin, wit ...
*
Entomophagy
Entomophagy (, from Greek ἔντομον ', 'insect', and φαγεῖν ', 'to eat') is the practice of eating insects. An alternative term is insectivory. Terms for organisms that practice entomophagy are ''entomophage'' and ''insectivore' ...
*
Meat analogue
A meat alternative or meat substitute (also called plant-based meat or fake meat, sometimes pejoratively) is a food product made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients, eaten as a replacement for meat. Meat alternatives typically approximate qua ...
References
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Flour
Flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
Insects as food