Leen Van Campenhout
University of Leuven, Belgium
Title: Microbial quality and food safety of edible insects as a novel and sustainable food matrix
Biography
Biography: Leen Van Campenhout
Abstract
Traditional animal protein sources will not be able to supply the growing world population. Edible insects are put forward as a sustainable alternative. While the novel food regulation is currently being revised, in Belgium the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) has already authorized the marketing of ten insect species. A complete rearing and processing chain is now establishing in Belgium and other countries. Yet the knowledge on the microbial status and food safety of insects during rearing, processing and storage is very scarce. Therefore, we conduct several research projects aiming at investigating the microbial community of edible insects “from farm to fork”. An overview of the results obtained will be presented. As to the rearing phase, key aspects currently under investigation are (i) the microbial dynamics during industrial rearing of mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), house crickets (Acheta domesticus) and grasshoppers (Locusta migratoria), (ii) the impact of specific practices during rearing on the microbial quality, such as starving and rinsing before killing, and (iii) transmission of pathogens from the substrate to the insects. Also a survey is being conducted on the microbial quality of different batches obtained from several industrial rearing facilities, using both culture-dependent analyses as well as culture-independent metagenomics. As to processing of insects, the impact of processing steps on the insect microbiota is determined. Processing steps currently under investigation include cooling, blanching, freeze-drying and microwave drying. Finally, shelf life experiments with a number of foods containing insects will be illustrated.