Volume: 3, 2024
3rd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: F007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL3.F007
Published online: 24 April 2024
ICDSUPL, 3, F007 (2024)
Sensory profiling of Tenebrio molitor reared in different conditions
Agnė Jankauskienė1*, Aistė Kabašinskienė1
1 Department of Food Safety and Quality, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes 18, 47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
* Corresponding author: agne.jankauskiene@lsmu.lt
Abstract
In numerous regions worldwide, insects like mealworms have long been a part of traditional diets, esteemed as food items and even delicacies. Nonetheless, in certain nations, the consumption of insects might be viewed as unconventional or even culturally taboo. Sensory evaluation, employed in the food industry, was utilized for conducting the research, assessing sensations or perceptions induced by food in humans and reflecting consumer preferences while gauging product quality. However, Europeans, are determined to change their normal diet to include mealworms for reason such as sustainability. The purpose of our study was to find out the taste perception of Lithuanians about Tenebrio molitor larvae. The larvae were reared in “Divaks” company, under different conditions, using production and farm by-products: sprouted potatoes (1), wheat bran (2), brewers’ spent grain (3), and a control group grown on agar-agar gels was used(4). The larvae were frozen, immediately lyophilized and ground prior to testing. Sixty evaluators – students of the Veterinary Medicine program at the Veterinary Faculty of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences were trained to perform sensory tests. The following sensory properties of mealworm larvae were evaluated and marked on a linear scale of 100 mm: overall acceptability, general acceptability of the smell and color, the level of cohesion in the mouth, general taste acceptability, aftertaste in the mouth, intensity of fat taste, salty, sweet and intensity of bitter taste. Profile analysis revealed that color acceptability among samples ranged from 7.14 to 7.96, indicating consistent appreciation. Similarly, odor acceptability ranged from 6.03 to 7.30, suggesting an overall positive reception. Notably, the samples with wheat bran, brewer’s yeast, and agar gels were favored for color, odor, and taste, being notably fatty and salty. While all samples were generally well-accepted in terms of odor and taste, variations existed in taste intensity and mouthfeel. The control sample exhibited the highest fat and salty flavors, while the wheat bran, brewer’s yeast, and carrot samples excelled in taste acceptability. These findings are aligned with previous research, demonstrating the potential use of mealworms as a sustainable and delicious source, encouraging the integration of mealworms into dishes and thus further increasing the acceptability of mealworms.
Keywords: mealworms, sensory, edible insects, sustainability, by-products
How to cite
A. Jankauskienė, A. Kabašinskienė, 2024. Sensory profiling of Tenebrio molitor reared in different conditions. In: 3rd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL3.F007