Progress 09/01/20 to 02/06/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience: The target audience for this project include project members, adjacent and hired researchers, and members of local communities of interest. Members of the Peak Protein team include: Tom Gottemoller, veteran food scientist and chemical engineer; Dr. Edward Dratz, biochemist at MSU; Colby Tinsley, chemical engineer and lab technician; and Hans Swenson, biochemist and lab technician. In the Food Product Development Lab Dr. wan-Yuan Kuo & Dr. Mei Song, food scientists at MSU, provided their laboratory expertise and advising capabilities, while graduate students Edwin Allan, Sumedha Garg, and Matthew Weaver conducted product development and sensory testing services for Peak Protein. Undergraduates Grace Nichols, Nicholette Paulis, Grace Beck and Paige Thomas assisted in technofunctionality testing and recipe formulation. The project also targeted members of the MSU Chemical Engineering Dept., where 11 students teamed with Peak Protein to design a full scaleup design model for their senior year capstone project. This directive was overseen by Dr. Joseph Menicucci, who also benefited from knowledge of the commercial insect industry and insight into the unique process systems used in industrial entomophagy. Dr. Florence Dunkel, expert in entomophagy and professor at MSU, was also targeted in this project for her role and influence in adapting insects into the diet of western cultures. Additional target audiences for this phase of the project included members of the public who participated in the annual MSU Bug Buffet, as well as those recruited for one of the two sensory panels conducted by Peak Protein to assess product development lines. Efforts: Remote Zoom presentations hosted by Peak Protein sought to inform students of the chemical engineering department at MSU about the industrialization of insect processing, and the methodology of biomolecule fractionation. These presentations were applicable to the students, who were in the process of developing model plant facilities of similar scope for use as a senior-level capstone project. A select group of chemical engineering students were brought into the project to design and model a pilot plant for Peak Protein as an educational opportunity, fulfilling their capstone requirement and providing real-world experience in the field in which they will soon be entering. The design project necessitates complete understanding of the Peak Protein isolation and hydrolysis process, and encompasses not only researching and modeling an efficient, eco-friendly plant, but also a full writeup of scaleup procedures and economic analysis of the plant. Data analysis and assessments in Phase I provided functional claim substantiation and sensory claim substantiation for a sales brochure and website to be generated for Phase II. The sales brochure will show how to use the CPH to make patties, sauce, and post-exercise beverages and the initial sensory acceptance of these products. The brochure will show that the ingredients can form a major nutritional and functional foundation of foods, such as burgers, post-workout sports drinks, and nutraceutical delivery systems (the sauce) while retaining healthful benefits. The website will form the backbone of Peak Protein, acting as a resource in which to learn more about the nutritional, ecological, and practical benefits of entomophagy. Changes/Problems:Due to COVID-19 related restrictions on MSU Campus, the consumer sensory testing in this project had to transition from centralized location testing to at-home testing, which increased the difficulties in panelist recruitment, testing protocol control, and data collection. At-home sensory testing, however, can often encourage more dynamic and diverse data response as consumers are testing the products at home with potential interactions with family members and home environment, thus extending the evaluation, reflection, and discussion on product qualities and interests in future use. This unexpected outcome would be beneficial for future development of the business, branding, and marketing strategies for the CPH-enriched products. Though the original proposal listed a nutraceutical gummy product as one of the three trial products for the project, this idea was abandoned after preliminary sensory tests, which demonstrated a strong rich and dark flavor to the cricket hydrolysate. The hydrolysate often contained notes of earthiness & fishy taste. In light of these observations the third product to be developed, on top of a hemp-seed burger patty and protein beverage, was a soy substitute teriyaki sauce, which complemented the dark, rich, savory, and fishy notes of the hydrolysate. This product scored highest of the 3 in sensory panels, and was described by many as ready for the shelves. Although crickets were initially aimed to be sourced through a local insect-production company called Cowboy Crickets, the business folded because of COVID-19 which forced Peak Protein to source crickets from Entomo, a cricket farm based out of Toronto. Due to issues with customs inspections and surprise withholdings at the border, many shipments have been delayed for over 1 month, adding significant delays at times when more cricket powder was urgently needed than was planned for. However, this transition in suppliers has proved beneficial, as Entomo has proved very willing to work with Peak Protein throughout scaleup procedures, and has provided a number of custom batches for use in Peak Protein's product development. The species of cricket used for hydrolysate production was originally planned to be Acheta domesticus, the House Cricket, which is commonly used for pet food and livestock purposes. However the Acheta Domesticus Denzovirus, a virulent disease among crickets, has decimated cricket farms more and more frequently in recent years, putting consistent supply into question. The Tropical Banded Cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, is resistant to this denzovirus, and was thus converted to in order to assure steady production of cricket powder into the future. Analytical tests necessary for informing hydrolysate and product development were also impacted by COVID-19 . The labs which were still accepting samples displayed warnings stating lead times 3x longer than what they normally would be, which in practice usually trended closer to 1 month. Brunswick Labs, one of our essential partners for their assay work on DPP-IV and ACE inhibition, were permanently closed by COVID-19, necessitating Peak Protein to develop and perform the assays in-house. This setback has delayed the results of nutritional studies of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitor activity, but after thorough testing, these results are informing future product development and increase market desirability for potential industry partners. As we moved from the lab work to sensory testing for food product development we changed our enzyme use from analytical grade to food grade. This change required us to go directly to the enzyme manufacturer rather than the vendor, Sigma Aldrich. Unfortunately Novozyme, the manufacturer, was unresponsive to our multitude of attempts at reaching them, necessitating a change in suppliers. This required us to work with new enzymes with different activity which added significant research time before optimization of the hydrolysate process could be complete. While this delay reduced time for product development before the first sensory panel, this allowed for a partnership to develop between Peak Protein and Biocatalyst, along with proprietary information exchange which will assist in customizing Cricketein's flavor profile and technofunctional properties. The chitin within cricket exoskeletons is indigestible by humans, provides no nutritional value, and adds a gritty, sandy texture to the resulting hydrolysates. Removing chitin from cricket powder proved more difficult than anticipated, and was ultimately only solved with the purchase of a large continuous-flow centrifuge. Additionally, because of equipment malfunctions and improper storage in the Food Product Development Lab, Peak Protein took on responsibilities of processing and drying the protein digests, which required the purchase of a large freeze dryer - backordered and resolved with a refurbished model - and slowed research in nutritional testing due to freeze dryer workload. While these acquisitions significantly impacted the expenditure for this phase of the project, this resulted in two robust pieces of equipment which rendered Peak Protein fully autonomous for producing food-ready hydrolysates for internal product development. Due to limitations with the contracted Food Product Development Lab's time constraints, the shelf life study originally cited in the project proposal was not carried out. However Entomo, the cricket farm supplying cricket powder to Peak Protein, contracted a lab at the University of Toronto to examine shelf life of raw cricket powder, which demonstrated an impressive shelf stability of multiple years with no significant degradation of lipids within the matrix. Because of complications in testing enzyme inhibitions using peptide fragments, the ACE and DPP-IV inhibition assays failed to provide any useful information about cricket protein hydrolysates. While there are currently no external labs which will test these qualities, future work at Peak Protein will either update the available testing procedures and conduct more refined trials, or else a thorough literature review will be conducted to pull these values from peer reviewed trials performed on the Tropical Banded Cricket, the species being used by Peak Protein. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Eric Chaikin gained experience in project management, leading and performance via the public-private partnership; he also gained lab experimental experience in edible insect research and food product development. Eric participated in the sensory evaluation of CPH hydrolysates and related developed food products, provided feedback and learned the sensory evaluation techniques used in the food science industry. 2. Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo gained experiences in project management in the public-private partnership and in advising graduate and undergraduate students via the edible insect research. During the project course, Dr. Kuo developed several courses teaching materials to facilitate the above partnership and to provide education and guidance to students interested. The courses included: NUTR 226 Food Fundamentals, NUTR 430 Food Processing, NUTR 492 Independent Study, NUTR 490R Undergraduate Research, NUTR 496 Food Product Development, SFBS 429 Small Business Entrepreneurship in Food and Health, and NUTR 530 Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, cumulatively reaching out to 137 students and provide them with edible insects knowledge through these classes. 3. Dr. Edward Dratz gained experience in edible insect research, professional sensory testing, in defatting techniques of insect powders, hydrolyzing insect proteins, and performing nutritional assays on insect powders. 4. Dr. Mei Song, through guiding and advising on hydrolysis, product development and sensory evaluation, gained knowledge in edible insect research and food product development, as well as managing undergraduate students. 5. TechniciansHans Swenson and Colby Tinsley gained experience in food-grade lab techniques, lab management procedures, and protein chemistry. With the aid of Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo they were instructed on the basis of food safety, constructing hazard analysis plans and developing procedures to comply with the FDA's guidelines for Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP). Colby and Hans participated in the 2020 Insects to Feed the World Conference, gaining expertise and knowledge base in the chemistry and nutritional knowledge of entomophagy. Hans gained knowledge of common nutritional aims of protein products and developed protocols for testing nutritional qualities such as antioxidant capacity, ACE and DPP-IV inhibition, anti-inflammatory ability, and amino detection. 6. Head lab technician Hans Swenson also gained experience in the world of industrial and process engineering, in the process of working with MSU engineering students to develop a model plant for large-scale production of CPH. This experience includes knowledge and research into industrial analogs of R&D microprocesses, PFD construction and analysis, economic analysis of largescale process design, and development of continuous-flow systems. 7. Graduate students Edwin Allan, Sumehda Garg, Matthew Weaver, and the undergraduate hourly students gained experiential learning through conducting theedible insects research, food product development, technofunctionality testing and sensory studies. 8. Twenty-six participants from annual attendees at the MSU Bug Buffet 2021 were screened for the cricket protein hydrolysate-based products (beef patties) evaluation through educational food-based survey and product taste tests. They learned the environmental benefits of edible insects and the beneficial effect of hydrolysis on insect proteins. 120 more participants from annual attendees at the MSU Bug Buffet participated in the consumer study for the 3 products developed. 9. Other groups to receive presentations include: the marketing, management and finance majors in the Montana State University, Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Board Certified Internists of the College of Internal Medicine of Montana, MSU Foundation and the speaking circuit of MSU alumni groups throughout MT and the US. (Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman, Spokane, Portland and St. Paul MN). This information dissemination is being provided to Michigan Extension Service and can be provided to other Land Grant Universities and their Colleges of Business. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations, both verbal and digital, were given to students of food science and biology at the 2021 Bug Buffet hosted at Montana State University in Bozeman MT, as well as presented in a classroom setting to the class of Dr. Florence Dunkel, resident entomology & entomophagy expert at MSU. Lab Technicians Hans Swenson & Colby Tinsley attended the 2020 Feed The World conference in November of 2020, where information on insect anatomy, biochemistry, and metabolism was presented in the context of insect-eating. This conference informed many decisions on the isolation and hydrolysis process which was later formalized into the techniques used in producing hydrolysates for the two sensory panels held in Bozeman. The results of this phase of research are being used to construct a company website with multiple functions for Peak Protein. The site will host an online store for non-local consumers to shop, and will also be a platform for dissemination of scientific information, and will provide a forum for discussion of Western Entomophagy and environmentally dietary practices within target communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Different methods of fat and chitin removal were investigated, and a final protocol for both delipidation and protein isolation were established at the R&D scale, which are currently informing a Pilot plant-scale design. Methodologies were established for producing cricket protein hydrolysates with varying degrees and types of hydrolysis procedures.Single enzymes including Alcalase, Neutrase, Papain Flavourzyme, and a variety of proprietary proteases from Biocatalyst Inc., as well as a combination of enzymes were investigated for the project. One or two-step hydrolysis digestions were investigated using these enzymes on the defatted cricket powder, while modifying conditions such as enzyme/substrate ratio, hydrolysis time, pH, concentration, temperature, and particle size. Around 130 hydrolysates were tested for degree of hydrolysis and sensory evaluation, and the preferred hydrolysates were further tested for techno-functionalities and food product developments. Sensory evaluation on CPH included aroma by smell, aroma by mouth, taste, overall bitterness, overall saltiness and overall liking. Our results showed that two step hydrolysis generated more bitter taste compared to one step hydrolysis, as did higher degrees of hydrolysis. Endoprotease enzymes tended to produce more bitter products, while exoproteases could convert bitter taste to savory flavor. Sensory results on CPH showed that combining an endoprotease with an exoprotease second step could produce an optimal hydrolysate with less bitter, less salty and less earthy flavor, but high degree of hydrolysis. Technofunctionalities were tested on a number of CPH's of varying pH and degree of hydrolysis, which demonstrated a significant change in the foam capacity & stability, emulsion capacity & stability, but not solubility of the products. These changes demonstrate a versatility in the hydrolysate process which could allow future products to conform to specific needs as a food ingredient, such as high solubility or capacity to be used as a foaming agent. Because COVID-related setbacks including extended shipping times and closure of a key analytical lab partner hindered the testing of bioactive properties of the hydrolysates, Peak Protein performed all bioactivity assays in-house, and produced detailed data on antioxidant capacity across a range of degrees of hydrolysis. Anti-inflamatory activity, ACE and DPP-IV inhibitory activity were also tested, resulting in new insights into the interplay between peptide fragments and biological enzymes. After careful testing and evaluation of all hydrolysates produced, 3 samples were selected for product development,including hemp burger patties (benefiting from good water-binding and emulsion properties), post-exercise beverage (benefiting from increased solubility, and bioactive nutrients) and sauce (benefiting from good emulsification property). A preliminary 26-person sensory panel screened from the 2021 Bug Buffet was used to assess a promising hemp burger formulation, which informed the next phase of development. Then the three products were optimized with respect to the selected hydrolysates, and then displayed at a 120-person sensory panel in early June. The results of this panel demonstrated that cricket hydrolysates tend to hold a dark, earthy flavor, with either bitter or very savory notes. Consumer acceptance ratings were lowest for the chocolate sports beverage which was cited as being too savory, and ratings were highest for the teriyaki sauce, which used the complimentary flavors of molasses and fish sauce to meld well with the CPH. These results will inform future hydrolysis conditions and product development. Robust and validated methods were developed for protein solubility, emulsifying activity index, emulsion stability index, foamability and foam stability with whey protein hydrolysates as references. Cricket powder and hydrolysates were then evaluated under the same metrics. Generally, the CPHs showed a higher solubility compared to whey protein hydrolysates and cricket powder which gives the CPHs the capability to be applied in beverages or other aqueous products. The CPHs showed increased foaming capacity and foaming stability compared to cricket powder which indicates a potential for whipping product applications. After determining the final composition and quantities of the various waste streams in the protein fractionation process, the other two cricket fractions - chitin and lipids - were pursued as additional product lines, and methods of extracting and purifying these components were tested and refined. Their inclusion in the final company vision will aid in creating a more economically viable system of fractionation, as well as improving the ecological impact of using cricket protein as a food source. The final product outputs of Peak Protein's process will include protein hydrolysates for use as a food additive, clarified fats to be used as a healthy source of Omega-3's, and chitosan to be used as a medical material, environmental/waste treatment flocculant, or a natural food preservative/pesticide.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project include project members, adjacent and hired researchers, and members of local communities of interest. Members of the Peak Protein team include: Eric Chaikin, President of Peak Protein and Project Director, Tom Gottemoller, lead member of Peak Protein's Science Advisory Board, and former Director of Food Processing Research for Archer Daniel Midland Company ; Dr. Edward Dratz, vertern biochemist with a specialty in proteomics; Colby Tinsley, chemical engineer and lab technician; and Hans Swenson, biochemist and lab technician. In the Food Product Development Lab Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo & Dr. Mei Song, food scientists at MSU, provided their laboratory expertise and advising capabilities, while graduate students Edwin Allan, Sumedha Garg, and Matthew Weaver conducted product development and sensory testing services for Peak Protein. Undergraduates Grace Nichols, Nicholette Paulis, Grace Beck and Paige Thomas assisted in technofunctionality testing and recipe formulation. Dr. Florence Dunkel, expert in entomophagy and professor at MSU, was also targeted in this project for her role and influence in adapting insects into the diet of western cultures. Additional target audiences for this phase of the project included members of the public who participated in the annual MSU Bug Buffet, as well as those recruited for one of the two sensory panels conducted by Peak Protein to assess product development lines. Efforts: The project outcomes and progress have been delivered to people and students through the following formal and informal educational programs: 1. Through the efforts of Dr. Florence Dunkel and Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo, formal teaching courses related to the field of entomophagy have been created at MSU. During this reporting period, work at Peak Protein has supplemented the material covered in the following classes: BIOO 162CS Insects and Human Society, NUTR 226 Food Fundamentals, NUTR 430 Food Processing, NUTR 492 Independent Study, NUTR 490R Undergraduate Research, NUTR 496 Food Product Development, SFBS 429 Small Business Entrepreneurship in Food and Health, NUTR 530 Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, AGSC 465R Incorporating Cultures' Role in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, and new course PSPP 591 Holistic Approaches to Current Food and Health System Challenges. 2. An educational survey by Qualtrics has been designed and distributed to insects' consumers at the MSU Bug Buffet 2021. The survey was delivered to over 900 participants, who received insect-based entres designed and created by competition and insect-specializing chefs. 3. This research has provided the foundation for educating buyers in the food ingredient and commercial packaged goods food product sector. The research results provided evidence that insects, in this case g. sigillatus, can be thought of as a desirable ingredient with beneficial techo-functionality and bio-functionalities. 4. Data analysis and assessments in Phase I provided functional claim substantiation and sensory claim substantiation for a sales brochure to be generated in Phase II. The sales brochure will show how to use the CPH to make patties, sauce, and post-exercise beverages and the initial sensory acceptance of these products. The brochure will show that the ingredients can form a major nutritional and functional foundation of foods, such as burgers, post-workout sports drinks, and nutraceutical delivery systems (the sauce) while retaining healthful benefits. 5. A seminar hosted by Eric Chaikin, Project Director and President of Peak Protein, and Hans Swenson, lab technician at Peak Protein, was given to students in BIOO 162, Insects & Human Society. The seminar was presented to students of Dr. Florence Dunkel at MSU, and included information on the history and merits of entomophagy, as well as the hydrolysis and isolation being performed on tropical banded crickets at Peak Protein. The class was used as an opportunity to recruit for the Sensory Panel two weeks later. Changes/Problems:Due to COVID-19 related restrictions on MSU Campus, the consumer sensory testing in this project had to transition from centralized location testing to at-home testing, which increased the difficulties in panelist recruitment, testing protocol control, and data collection. At-home sensory testing, however, can often encourage more dynamic and diverse data response as consumers are testing the products at home with potential interactions with family members and home environment, thus extending the evaluation, reflection, and discussion on product qualities and interests in future use. This unexpected outcome would be beneficial for future development of the business, branding, and marketing strategies for the CPH-enriched products. Though the original proposal listed a nutraceutical gummy product as one of the three trial products for the project, this idea was abandoned after preliminary sensory tests, which demonstrated a strong rich and dark flavor to the cricket hydrolysate. The hydrolysate often contained notes of earthiness & fishy taste. In light of these observations the third product to be developed, on top of a hemp-seed burger patty and protein beverage, was a soy substitute teriyaki sauce, which complemented the dark, rich, savory, and fishy notes of the hydrolysate. This product scored highest of the 3 in sensory panels, and was described by many as ready for the shelves. Although crickets were initially aimed to be sourced through a local insect-production company called Cowboy Crickets, the business folded because of COVID-19 which forced Peak Protein to source crickets from Entomo, a cricket farm based out of Toronto. Due to issues with customs inspections and surprise withholdings at the border, many shipments have been delayed for over 1 month, adding significant delays at times when more cricket powder was urgently needed than was planned for. However, this transition in suppliers has proved beneficial, as Entomo has proved very willing to work with Peak Protein throughout scaleup procedures, and has provided a number of custom batches for use in Peak Protein's product development. The species of cricket used for hydrolysate production was originally planned to be Acheta domesticus, the House Cricket, which is commonly used for pet food and livestock purposes. However the Acheta Domesticus Denzovirus, a virulent disease among crickets, has decimated cricket farms more and more frequently in recent years, putting consistent supply into question. The Tropical Banded Cricket, Gryllodes sigillatus, is resistant to this denzovirus, and was thus converted to in order to assure steady production of cricket powder into the future. Analytical tests necessary for informing hydrolysate and product development were also impacted by COVID-19 . The labs which were still accepting samples displayed warnings stating lead times 3x longer than what they normally would be, which in practice usually trended closer to 1 month. Brunswick Labs, one of our essential partners for their assay work on DPP-IV and ACE inhibition, were permanently closed by COVID-19, necessitating Peak Protein to develop and perform the assays in-house - a process which is just now getting underway. This setback has delayed the results of nutritional studies of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitor activity, but when these results are compiled, they will inform future product development and increase market desirability for potential industry partners. As we moved from the lab work to sensory testing for food product development we changed our enzyme use from analytical grade to food grade. This change required us to go directly to the enzyme manufacturer rather than the vendor, Sigma Aldrich. Unfortunately Novozyme, the manufacturer, was unresponsive to our multitude of attempts at reaching them, necessitating a change in suppliers. This required us to work with new enzymes with different activity which added significant research time before optimization of the hydrolysate process could be complete. While this delay reduced time for product development before the first sensory panel, this allowed for a partnership to develop between Peak Protein and Biocatalyst, along with proprietary information exchange which will assist in customizing Cricketein's flavor profile and technofunctional properties. The chitin within cricket exoskeletons is indigestible by humans, provides no nutritional value, and adds a gritty, sandy texture to the resulting hydrolysates. Removing chitin from cricket powder proved more difficult than anticipated, and was ultimately only solved with the purchase of a large continuous-flow centrifuge. Additionally, because of equipment malfunctions and improper storage in the Food Product Development Lab, Peak Protein took on responsibilities of processing and drying the protein digests, which required the purchase of a large freeze dryer - backordered and resolved with a refurbished model - and slowed research in nutritional testing due to freeze dryer workload. While these acquisitions significantly impacted the expenditure for this phase of the project, this resulted in two robust pieces of equipment which rendered Peak Protein fully autonomous for producing food-ready hydrolysates for internal product development. Due to limitations with the contracted Food Product Development Lab's time constraints, the shelf life study originally cited in the project proposal was not carried out. However Entomo, the cricket farm supplying cricket powder to Peak Protein, contracted a lab at the University of Toronto to examine shelf life of raw cricket powder, which demonstrated an impressive shelf stability of multiple years with no significant degradation of lipids within the matrix. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Eric Chaikin gained experience in project management, leading and performance via the public-private partnership; he also gained lab experimental experience in edible insect research and food product development. Eric participated in the sensory evaluation of CPH hydrolysates and related developed food products, provided feedback and learned the sensory evaluation techniques used in the food science industry. Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo gained experiences in project management in the public-private partnership and in advising graduate and undergraduate students via the edible insect research. During the project course, Dr. Kuo developed several courses teaching materials to facilitate the above partnership and to provide education and guidance to students interested. The courses included: NUTR 226 Food Fundamentals, NUTR 430 Food Processing, NUTR 492 Independent Study, NUTR 490R Undergraduate Research, NUTR 496 Food Product Development, SFBS 429 Small Business Entrepreneurship in Food and Health, and NUTR 530 Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, cumulatively reaching out to 137 students and provide them with edible insects knowledge through these classes. Dr. Edward Dratz gained experience in edible insect research, professional sensory testing, in defatting techniques of insect powders, hydrolyzing insect proteins, and performing nutritional assays on insect powders. Dr. Mei Song, through guiding and advising on hydrolysis, product development and sensory evaluation, gained knowledge in edible insect research and food product development, as well as managing undergraduate students. Technicians Hans Swenson and Colby Tinsley gained experience in food-grade lab techniques, lab management procedures, and protein chemistry. With the aid of Dr. Wan-Yuan Kuo they were instructed on the basis of food safety, constructing hazard analysis plans and developing procedures to comply with the FDA's guidelines for Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP). Colby and Hans participated in the 2020 Insects to Feed the World Conference, gaining expertise and knowledge base in the chemistry and nutritional knowledge of entamophagy. Hans gained knowledge of common nutritional aims of protein products and developed protocols for testing nutritional qualities such as anti-oxidant capacity, ACE and DPP-IV inhibition, anti-inflammatory ability, and amino detection. Graduate students Edwin Allan, Sumehda Garg, Matthew Weaver, and the undergraduate hourly students gained experiential learning through conducting the edible insects research, food product development, technofunctionality testing and sensory studies. Twenty-six participants from annual attendees at the MSU Bug Buffet 2021 were screened for the cricket protein hydrolysate-based products (beef patties) evaluation through educational food-based survey and product taste tests. They learned the environmental benefits of edible insects and the beneficial effect of hydrolysis on insect proteins. 120 more participants from annual attendees at the MSU Bug Buffet participated in the consumer study for the 3 products developed. Other groups to receive presentations include: the marketing, management and finance majors in the Montana State University, Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Board Certified Internists of the College of Internal Medicine of Montana, MSU Foundation and the speaking circuit of MSU alumni groups throughout MT and the US. (Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman, Spokane, Portland and St. Paul MN). This information dissemination is being provided to Michigan Extension Service and can be provided to other Land Grant Universities and their Colleges of Business. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations, both verbal and digital, were given to students of food science and biology at the 2021 Bug Buffet hosted at Montana State University in Bozeman MT, as well as presented in a classroom setting to the class of Dr. Florence Dunkel, resident entomology & entomophagy expert at MSU. Eric Chaikin, PD and both the Lab Technicians Hans Swenson and Colby Tinsley attended the 2020 Feed The World conference in November of 2020, where information on insect anatomy, biochemistry, and metabolism was presented in the context of insect-eating. This conference informed many decisions on the isolation and hydrolysis process which was later formalized into the techniques used in producing hydrolysates for the two sensory panels held in Bozeman. The results of this phase of research will be used to construct a company website with multiple functions for Peak Protein. The site will host an online store for non-local consumers to shop, and will also be a platform for dissemination of scientific information, and will provide a forum for discussion of Western Entomophagy and environmentally dietary practices within target communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Bioactivity assays originally intended to be performed by a 3rd party lab are now only able to be performed in-house. Despite this, all previously stated tests will still be performed, so that a more accurate picture of the nutritional qualities of cricket hydrolysates can be assessed. Reagents will be purchased for testing qualities of ACE inhibition, DPP-IV inhibition, ABTS antioxidant capacity, and FRAP potential. ACE enzyme is an endogenous protein which raises blood pressure and is linked to heart disease and other potentially fatal vascular conditions. DPP-IV is an enzyme which is implicated in Type II diabetes. Inhibitors of these enzymes, often small peptide segments formed from cleavage of larger proteins, are found in hydrolysate products, and can be maximized with careful control of the conditions of hydrolysis. The FRAP and ABTS reagents are used to test antioxidant potential of a sample, which has implications for mitigating stress and inflammation-based cellular damage. The data collected from these assays will be compiled and analyzed as a factor of the degree and type of hydrolysis performed, in order to produce a RSM-type multidimensional curve by which local minimums and maximums along the curve dictate points where the nutraceutical properties of the final protein hydrolysate can be optimized. By deciding to continue with testing these qualities on cricket hydrolysates, the final hydrolysate products can be produced and marketed as a means of consuming healthier and more consistent protein. With the data collected during the first phase of this project, it is now more feasible to approach branding and marketing design for Peak Protein. The primary aims in this sector include logo and packaging design, outreach opportunities to increase market interest, and creation of a website geared towards marketing and education in entomology, entomophagy, and the merits of a diet incorporating protein from insects. Hans Swenson, lab technician, will complete a course in food safety hosted at Montana State University, to be used as the primary designee of food safety protocols in order to comply with the FDA's cGMP guidelines before Peak Protein broaches the consumer sector of production. This training will inform the design and creation of a pilot-scale plant during the next project phase, and will allow for futher sensory testing as needed, independent of a 3rd party Product Development Lab. The data collected in this phase of the project will be compiled and further analyzed to assess the status of Peak Protein's product line, which will inform future company decisions and product development. This data will prove useful throughout the process of scaleup, and will be referenced at pilot plant scale to inform equipment and instrument purchase, as well as industrial variables for production at capacity.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Different methods of fat and chitin removal were investigated, and a final protocol for both delipidation and protein isolation were established at the R&D scale, which will also inform Pilot plant scale. Methodologies were established for producing cricket protein hydrolysates with varying degrees and types of hydrolysis procedures. Single enzymes including Alcalase, Neutrase, Papain Flavourzyme, and a variety of proprietary proteases from Biocatalyst Inc., as well as a combination of enzymes were investigated for the project. One or two-step hydrolysis digestions were investigated using these enzymes on the defatted cricket powder, while modifying conditions such as enzyme/substrate ratio, hydrolysis time, pH, concentration, temperature, and particle size. Around 120 hydrolysates were tested for degree of hydrolysis and sensory evaluation, and the preferred hydrolysates were further tested for techno-functionalities and food product developments. Sensory evaluation on CPH included aroma by smell, aroma by mouth, taste, overall bitterness, overall saltiness and overall liking. Our results showed that two step hydrolysis generated more bitter taste compared to one step hydrolysis, as did higher degrees of hydrolysis. Endoprotease enzymes tended to produce more bitter products, while exoproteases could convert bitter taste to savory flavor. Sensory results on CPH showed that combining an endoprotease with an exoprotease second step could produce an optimal hydrolysate with less bitter, less salty and less earthy flavor, but high degree of hydrolysis. Technofunctionalities were tested on a number of CPH's of varying pH and degree of hydrolysis, which demonstrated a significant change in the foam capacity & stability, emulsion capacity & stability, but not solubility of the products. These changes demonstrate a versatility in the hydrolysate process which could allow future products to conform to specific needs as a food ingredient, such as high solubility or capacity to be used as a foaming agent. While COVID-related setbacks including extended shipping times and closure of a key analytical lab partner hindered the testing of bioactive properties of the hydrolysates, these assays are underway; Peak Protein is performing all bioactivity assays in-house, and with the project extension, will have data on anti-inflamatory activity, antioxidant capacity and ACE & DPP-IV inhibitory activity before the next reporting period. After careful testing and evaluation of all hydrolysates produced, 3 samples were selected for product development, including hemp burger patties (benefiting from good water-binding and emulsion properties), post-exercise beverage (benefiting from increased solubility, and bioactive nutrients) and sauce (benefiting from good emulsification property). A preliminary 26-person sensory panel screened from the 2021 Bug Buffet was used to assess a promising hemp burger formulation, which informed the next phase of development. Then the three products were optimized with respect to the selected hydrolysates, and then displayed at a 120-person sensory panel in early June. The results of this panel demonstrated that cricket hydrolysates tend to hold a dark, earthy flavor, with either bitter or very savory notes. Consumer acceptance ratings were lowest for the chocolate sports beverage which was cited as being too savory, and ratings were highest for the teriyaki sauce, which used the complimentary flavors of molasses and fish sauce to meld well with the CPH. These results will inform future hydrolysis conditions and product development. Robust and validated methods were developed for protein solubility, emulsifying activity index, emulsion stability index, foamability and foam stability with whey protein hydrolysates as references. Cricket powder and hydrolysates were then evaluated under the same metrics. Generally, the CPHs showed a higher solubility compared to whey protein hydrolysates and cricket powder which gives the CPHs the capability to be applied in beverages or other aqueous products. The CPHs showed increased foaming capacity and foaming stability compared to cricket powder which indicates a potential for whipping product applications.
Publications
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