Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The world's population is set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, increasing the demand for food, particularly animal proteins. A striking 80% of global farmland is dedicated to livestock production, despite animals contributing only 18% to global calorie intake. To address climate change, biodiversity loss, hunger, and malnutrition, cultivating insects for human and animal consumption is a potential solution. Insects are nutrient-rich, with 41-66% protein and 15-50% fat content. Cultural resistance in the USA and Europe impedes the acceptance of insect proteins as food sources.To overcome cultural barriers, a multidisciplinary research initiative seeks to develop sustainable extraction methods for obtaining protein, lipids, and valuable components from insect meal, enabling the creation of innovative food products using 3-D printing technology. Advanced tools like NIR sensors and AI algorithms will measure protein, fat, chitin levels, and nutrient quality, including essential amino acids and fatty acids. Concurrently, consumer surveys and focus groups will assess public perception and willingness to purchase insect-based products.Led by The Ohio State University in collaboration with Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain and insect farming companies from the USA and Europe, this effort aligns with the USDA NIFA A1364 Novel Foods and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies program, aiming to advance food manufacturing technologies for a sustainable, resilient, and healthy food supply. The knowledge gained from this project will pave the way for innovative insect-based food ingredients and products while nurturing the emerging workforce for this industry, promising a more sustainable and nutritious future for the growing global population.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
30%
Developmental
40%
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1: Develop cutting-edge insect-based ingredients using sustainable extraction andprocessing technologies to optimize their nutritional and functional properties. We will implement supercritical CO2 and high-pressure assisted extraction technologies to improve yields, nutrient quality, and functionality of proteins and oils representative of insects. Our aim is to create a new portfolio of novel insect-based ingredients with enhanced techno-functional properties (Year 1-3).Objective 2: Leverage our existing sensor technology platform, which combines miniaturized NIR spectrometers and artificial intelligence algorithms, to measure protein, fat, and chitin levels. We will extend the unique signatures of NIR to develop predictive algorithms for essential amino acid and fatty acid profiling to assess nutrient quality. We will adapt existing OSU-owned intellectual property to develop insect sensor technologies that can be rapidly transitioned into commercial products for quality screening at all stages of the commercialization process (Year 1-3).Objective 3: Formulate and evaluate consumer acceptance of new 3D printed insect-based foodproducts. We will engineer the composition of a baked product (snack-type) using the newgeneration of insect-based ingredients and 3D printing technology. Our approach aims to addressconsumer concerns and perceptions regarding insect consumption while meeting sustainabilityexpectations. We will monitor the rheological properties of the insect-fortified doughs and thetextural characteristics of the 3D printed foods. Consumer acceptance testing will guide our effortstowards the successful application of these value-added ingredients. Additionally, consumersurveys and focus groups will provide insights into consumer perceptions of the products and theirwillingness to purchase them (Year 2-3).
Project Methods
Our hypothesis is that novel lipid and protein ingredients extracted from insect meals can be used to formulate innovative food products (using 3D printing) for human consumption and/or pet food. We will procure edible insects, such as A. domesticus and H. illucens, from our insect farm partners to produce lipid fractions and protein extracts suitable for formulating and 3D printing food products.We have shown that pressure-based supercritical CO2 and high-pressure extraction technologies can enhance the production yield of insect protein extracts and insect lipid fractions, adapting their physicochemical properties for ink (dough-type) formulation. Nanotechnology-enabled NIR spectrometers are driving the development of low-cost, handheld sensor systems that can quantify the presence of insect-derived ingredients without the need for costly laboratory analyses. Extracted insect powders can expand the portfolio of ink (dough-type) for designing 3D-printed foods, as a strategy to reduce the 'ick' factor associated with these novel foods while benefiting from their proven sustainability.We plan to conduct the research following the task structures outlined below. OSU and URV will have routine video conference calls (quarterly minimum and more frequently as needed) to review project progress. Each task description includes discussions of the techniques to be employed and the expected results. Additionally, we will outline our plans for communicating this research to insect farmers, a broader stakeholder audience, and the research communities.We will procure insect meal and powder samples from our insect farming partners and other commercial sources. Baseline chemical, microbiological, and physical properties will be determined.Supercritical CO2 extraction of insect lipids is expected to yield fractions with higher purity, avoiding the extraction of pigments, chitin, and other components when compared to the controversial organic solvent extraction method, which has a high environmental impact. By exploring different operating conditions, we anticipate obtaining lipid fractions with suitable properties for formulating ink (dough type) for 3D printing.We anticipate obtaining optimal high-pressure extraction conditions for extracting proteins from insect meals with the desired techno-functional properties. In addition to assessing the impact of extraction pressure on protein yield, we will determine changes in protein solubility, emulsification efficiency, water-binding capacity, oil-binding capacity, foaming capacity, and gelation of the protein extracts.We will showcase the NIR sensor's capabilities in partnership with insect farmers, allowing us to predict key quality traits in insect powders. It also has the potential to safeguard against fraud and adulterations involving this novel ingredient. Furthermore, we will gather insights into how high-pressure extraction influences the protein profile.We will create 3D-printed snacks enriched with insect protein extracts. In this process, we will adjust the insect protein concentration in the ink (dough type) to achieve the desired rheological properties for optimal printability.