Cricket Power: Protein for the Future

Edible insects have recently received much attention in the food industry due to their high protein, mineral and vitamin content. Edible insect proteins usually meet the WHO essential amino acid content requirements and are, on average, more digestible than plant-based proteins. However, their inclusion in food products still remains a challenge; insect proteins form complex systems and interact with other components within food matrices. Moreover, consumer acceptance is one of the biggest challenges for insect-based foods, driven by food neophobia and disgust.
We aim to tackle the challenge of insect-based foods and bridge the knowledge gap between insect protein functionality and consumer acceptance, through an exciting CASE studentship, in partnership with New Foods Ltd and the University of Surrey. New Foods Ltd, trading as
HOP in the UK, is a science-based business, retailing insect food products and places the longterm health, wellbeing and environmental sustainability as the key-drivers for innovation and business activity. The project will investigate key nutritional and functional properties of edible insects (crickets), which will inform protein-rich model food systems and products that will be evaluated through sensory and consumer acceptability studies.