BE1024360B1 - PREPARATION MADE OF INSECT LARMS AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PREPARATION - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid, viscous or dry rehydratable preparation based on homogenized killed edible insect larvae and a binder that is added in a ratio of 1 to 25 grams of dry matter binder per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae. The invention further relates to the use of this preparation for the preparation of insect-based food products wherein the preparation is coagulated, preferably by heating. The invention further relates to a method for making a preparation of ground edible insect larvae to which binders are added in a ratio of 1 to 25 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of killed homogenized edible insect larvae. The present invention relates to a premix with homogenized insect larvae matrix and a hydrophilic colloidal protein binder in the ratio of 1 to 25 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of insect larvae matrix.

Description

PREPARATION MADE OF INSECT LARMS AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PREPARATION

Technical field

The present invention is in the field of meat and / or fish replacement preparations based on edible insects. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid preparation based on edible insect larvae which can be used for the preparation of insect-based food products with the aspect of food products such as minced meat, meat loaf, cooking sausages and hamburgers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A lot of energy is lost when converting plant material into animal consumer products such as meat and milk. As a result, much energy, raw materials and agricultural land are required for meat production. In contrast, insect breeding has few requirements. The necessary use of space is limited because insects live close to each other, the need for food and water is low and insects make few demands on the food substrate. In addition, unlike livestock farming, far fewer greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) and ammonia are exempted, so that the environmental impact is much lower. An emission of 14.8 kg CCh equivalent is caused by the production of 1 kg of beef. This value is much lower for pigs (3.8 kg) and chickens (1.1 kg). Insects do even better. In general it can be said that insects are more environmentally efficient than traditional livestock farming.

The production of these animal proteins for human consumption can be done more efficiently by using insects. This can be done directly as human food (entomophagia) or indirectly as animal feed or by extracting proteins from the insects and then processing them into food products.

Entomophagia has been used for centuries. In the West, however, this custom has been pushed more to the background, while in tropical and subtropical countries tradition continues to exist (Van Itterbeeck J, 2008, Entomophagy and the West: Barriers and possibilities, ecological advantages and ethical desirability. Wageningen:

Entomology laboratory). However, there are more and more Western influences in these countries, so that entomophagy is used less than before (FAO, 2010; Yen AL, 2009, Entomological Research, 39, 289-298.).

Entomophagy is almost non-existent in the West, which is largely due to the fact that insects are more likely to be seen as the cause of teasing and bullying and eating insects provokes a feeling of disgust.

If the insects can be processed in such a way that they are no longer recognizable as coming from insects and that these preparations preferably have the appearance of trusted food products, then it would be possible to make eating insects acceptable.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a preparation and a method that can be used in the preparation of a variety of insect-based food products to replace conventional meat products such as minced meat, hamburgers, meat loaf and cooking sausages. An additional advantage of the preparation and method of the present invention is that it is possible to prepare these different types of food products in a simple manner so that it contains a similar content of animal (insect) proteins as traditional meat products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is known that non-homogenized bits or chunks of insect larvae are more easily miscible in a traditionally prepared food product, but that a homogenized insect larvae matrix does not lend itself well to the processing of solid wet food products such as cooked sausage, hamburger or pancake.

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a liquid preparation based on homogenized killed edible insect larvae and a binder that is added at a ratio of 1 to 30 grams of dry matter binder per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae.

In a second aspect, the present invention relates to the use of the liquid preparation of the first aspect for the preparation of insect-based food products wherein the liquid preparation is coagulated. This coagulation is preferably done by heating.

In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a method for making a liquid preparation of edible insect larvae wherein edible insect larvae are ground and to which binders are added at a ratio of 1 to 30 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae.

It has been experimentally determined that not all binders are efficient in converting a wet or dried homogenized insect larvae matrix into a solid-state food product or into a hierarchically structural wet-food product. The highest organoleptic and structural quality was obtained with protein binders and more particularly with hydrophilic colloidal proteins, such as egg protein, ovomucine, ovoglobulin, egg albumin, casein or gelatin (whether or not in combination with potato starch, in combination with corn starch, or in combination with chickpea flour) , or in combination with breadcrumbs).

A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for making a liquid preparation of edible insect larvae wherein edible insect larvae are ground and to which hydrophilic colloidal proteins are added to homogenized edible insect larvae, whether or not in combination with potato starch, al / not in combination with corn starch, or optionally in combination with chickpea flour, or optionally in combination with breadcrumbs. The best ratio for that hydrophilic colloidal protein binder is that of 1 to 30 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of insect larvae matrix.

A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a premix with homogenized insect larvae and a matrix hydrophilic colloidal protein binder in the ratio of 1 to 30 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of insect larvae matrix. This premix for preparing a wet solid food product or for preparing a hierarchically structural wet food product of the present invention can have a dry or wet product appearance. An advantage of this premix is that it can be converted in wet form or after rehydration through physical processes into (i) wet solid food products, (ii) hierarchically structural wet food products with an accepted organoleptic quality and (iii) solid meat and / or or fish replacement preparations and food products such as hamburgers, minced meat and sausage with a great resemblance to the original meat or fish product.

In the format of a condom structure, the invention includes the following embodiments. A meat and / or fish substitute solid wet food product or hierarchically structural wet meat and / or fish substitute food product based on a homogenized insect larvae mass and a protein binder additive. 2. A meat and / or fish substitute solid wet food product or hierarchically structural wet meat and / or fish substitute food product based on a homogenized insect larvae mass and a hydrophilic colloidal protein additive. A meat and / or fish substitute solid wet food product or hierarchically structural wet meat and / or fish substitute food product according to any of the embodiments of the invention 1 and 2, wherein the additive is one of the following proteins egg protein, mucin , globulin, albumin, casein or gelatin or a mixture thereof. 4. A solid wet food product such as, for example, in the form of an insect larva minced meat, insect larvae pancake, insect larvae sausage, insect larvae burger, insect cubes, insect stirrers, insect sausages, comprising hydrophilic colloidal protein and insect larva homogenate. 5. A premix containing a homogenized insect larvae mass and a hydrophilic colloidal protein for physical processing in a meat and / or fish substitute solid wet food product or hierarchically structural wet meat and / or fish substitute food product. 6. A premix containing a homogenized insect larvae mass and a hydrophilic colloidal protein for the physical preparation of food products such as minced meat, meat loaf, cooking sausages, hamburgers, strips, cubes and other formats whose shape is determined by the form in which coagulation is carried out. 7. A premix containing a homogenized insect larvae mass and a hydrophilic colloidal protein in combination with potato starch, corn starch, chickpea flour, or breadcrumbs or a combination of potato starch, corn starch, chickpea flour or breadcrumbs. The premix of one of the embodiments 5, 6 or 7 of the invention, wherein the hydrophilic colloidal protein is one of the following proteins: protein, mucin, globulin, albumin, casein or gelatin or a mixture thereof. 9. The premix of one of the embodiments 5, 6, 7 or 8 of the invention wherein the homogenized premix has a Farrall index ranging between 5 and 7. 10. The premix of one of the embodiments 5,6,7,8 or 9, the composition of which consists of 100 grams of homogenized killed insect larvae, 0 to 5 grams of potato starch, 0 to 15 grams of herbs and / or flavorings, 0 to 15 grams of fiber, 1 to 30 grams of protein binder and 1 to 100 grams of water. The premix or food product of any one of the embodiments 1 to 10 of the invention, wherein the premix or food product is free from bits or pieces of insect larvae. 12. The premix or food product of one of the embodiments 1 to 11, wherein there is a ratio of 1 to 30 grams of dry matter to hydrophilic colloidal protein additive per 100 grams of homogenized edible insect larvae of the original wet weight, 13. The premix or the food product of one of the embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the proportion of the homogenized insect larvae in the preparations of the present invention is at least 40%, such as for example at least 45%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80% , at least 90%, at least 95% or at least 99% as a percentage ratio of the wet weight of the killed homogenized insect larvae to the total weight of the preparation. 14. The premix or food product of one of the embodiments 1 to 13, where the insect larvae is homogenized insect larvae mass of morio worms (larvae of Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), the wax moth caterpillar (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella) or the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori). A method for transforming a wet or rehydrated premix from one of the embodiments 5 to 14 in an insect minced meat by frying with frequent stirring. A method for converting a wet or rehydrated premix from one of the embodiments 5 to 14 into a nutritional form of the embodiments 1 to 4 by heating. A method in which a wet or rehydrated premix of one of the embodiments 5 to 14 is transformed by pressure and temperature of the liquid or viscous mass into a solid wet food product or a hierarchically structural wet food product. A liquid preparation comprising homogenized edible insect larvae and an added binder, the preparation containing 1 to 25 grams of added binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight). The liquid preparation of embodiment 18 wherein the binder is selected from the group comprising vegetable proteins, animal proteins, starch and or combinations thereof. 20. The preparation of embodiments 18 or 19 where the edible larvae are selected from morio worms (larvae of Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), wax wax caterpillar (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella), the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori) and which make up 45% (w / w) to 99% (w / w) of the said preparation. The preparation of embodiments 18 to 20, wherein this preparation contains added herbs and / or flavors. The preparation of embodiments 18 to 21 wherein the binder consists of egg protein and / or potato starch. 23. The preparation of embodiments 18 to 22 wherein this preparation has a moisture content between 50% (w / w) and 75% (w / w). 24. The preparation of embodiments 18 to 23 wherein this preparation has a protein content between 10% (w / w) and 25% (w / w). 25. Use of the liquid preparation of embodiments 18 to 24 for the preparation of insect-based food products wherein this liquid preparation is coagulated by heating. 26. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment wherein the liquid preparation is baked with frequent stirring to form a granular preparation with the aspect of fried minced meat. 27. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment 26 wherein the granules of the granular preparation have a size ranging between 85 mm 3 and 850 mm 3. 28. The use of the grainy preparation of embodiments 26 or 27 as a substitute for minced meat, in tomato-based preparations such as spaghetti sauce, lasagna and pizza, filling of pita bread and filling of vegetables such as bell pepper. 29. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment in which the coagulation takes place during the baking of the liquid preparation on a flat plate with no stirring during the baking. 30. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment in which this preparation is brought into a baking mold and subsequently heated in an oven. 31. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment 28 in the preparation of a meat-bread-type product. 32. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment in which this preparation is introduced into a sealed casing and subsequently cooked. 33. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment 32 in the preparation of a sausage type product. 34. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment wherein this preparation is poured into an open baking form, such as a baking ring, and the whole is baked on a baking tray or pan. 35. The use of the liquid preparation according to embodiment 34 in the preparation of a hamburger-type product. 36. A method for making a liquid preparation of edible insect larvae wherein edible insect larvae are ground and to which binders are added in a ratio of 1 to 25 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of killed homogenized edible insect larvae. 37. The method of embodiment 36 in which the insect larvae are killed prior to milling. 38. The method according to embodiments 36 or 37 wherein spices and / or flavorings are added to this liquid preparation. 39. The method for making a liquid preparation of edible killed insect larvae according to embodiments 36 to 38, wherein further 35 grams to 95 grams of water are mixed in per 100 grams of killed homogenized edible insect larvae. 40. The method of embodiments 36 to 39 wherein dried egg protein is added as a binder and wherein between 2 grams and 7 grams of water are added per gram of dried egg protein. 41. The method of embodiments 36 to 40 in which the edible larvae are selected from the following species: morio worms (larvae of the mori beetle, Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), wax wax caterpillar caterpillar of Galleria mellonella), the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori). 42. The method of embodiments 36 to 41 in which the edible insect larvae are ground with the aid of a microcutter and / or saucer cutter. 43. The method of embodiments 36 to 42 wherein the binder consists of egg protein and / or potato starch. 44. The method of embodiments 36 to 43 in which an amount of herbs and / or flavorings is added that varies between 0% and 15% on a weight basis. 45. The method of embodiments 36 to 44 in which all ingredients are mixed using a mixing system such as a saucer cutter. 46. The method of embodiments 36 to 45 wherein the liquid preparation is subsequently baked on a baking sheet at a temperature ranging between 90 ° C and 120 ° C with frequent mixing of the mixture until it has the aspect of a loaf minced meat. 47. The method of embodiments 36 to 45 wherein the liquid preparation is subsequently heated by baking in an oven in a baking form, to form a meat loaf-type food product. 48. The method of embodiments 36 to 45 wherein the liquid preparation is then placed in a sealed enclosure and then cooked to form a cooked sausage type food product. 49. The method of embodiments 36 to 45 wherein the liquid preparation is subsequently heated by baking on a baking sheet or in a pan without stirring to form a pancake. 50. The method of embodiments 36 to 45 wherein the liquid preparation is then poured into an open baking pan such as a baking ring, the whole being subsequently baked on a baking sheet or in a pan, to form a hamburger-type food product.

Detailed description

A first aspect of this invention relates to a liquid preparation comprising homogenized edible insect larvae and an added binder. Preferably, this liquid preparation contains 1 to 30 grams of added binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight). The binder that is added to the preparations according to the first aspect of the present invention is typically selected from the following non-exhaustive list of binders: vegetable proteins, animal proteins and starch (e.g. potato starch, corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch) or a combination of the binders listed. Potato starch and / or egg protein have been found to be particularly suitable for making the said liquid preparation of the present invention. When egg protein is added as a binder, preferably dried egg protein is used which is previously dissolved in 2 grams to 10 grams of water, preferably in 4 to 9 grams of water, e.g. in 6 to 8 grams of water per gram of dried egg protein. The binder preferably consists of a combination of a starch, preferably potato starch, and a protein, for example egg protein. When egg protein is used, the potato starch / egg protein ratio used on a weight basis (dry weight) can vary between 1/1 and 1/20, for example between 1/5 and 1/15 or between 1/8 and 1/12. The preparations according to the present invention contain at least 1 g, preferably at least 5 g, preferably at least 7 g such as at least 9 g, at least 11 g or at least 13 g of binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight) . Furthermore, preferably no more than 30 g, for example no more than 25 g, such as no more than 20 g or no more than 18 g, or no more than 17 g or no more than 15 g of binder (dry matter) per 100 grams homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight) added.

Typically, a liquid preparation according to the first aspect of the present invention has a moisture content between about 50% (w / w) and 75% (w / w), for example between 60% (w / w) and 70% (w / w) .

The insect larvae are preferably used in the preparation of this liquid preparation killed prior to homogenization. The edible larvae can be selected from the following non-exhaustive list of morio worms (larvae of Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), wax wax caterpillar (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella), caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori). The proportion of the killed homogenized insect larvae in the preparations of the present invention is at least 30%, such as, for example, at least 40%, such as, for example, at least 45%, such as, for example, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95% or at least 99%. The proportion is calculated as the percentage ratio of the wet weight of the killed homogenized insect larvae to the total weight of the preparation (i.e. killed homogenized insect larvae, herbs, flavorings, binders and water).

The liquid preparation may further contain spices and / or flavorings. These can be selected (as a combination) from the following non-exhaustive list: salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, onions, ginger, coriander, garlic, chili, thyme, basil, oregano, mustard, marjoram, rosemary, cloves, cumin, parsley , cocoa, cinnamon, caraway, curcuma, celery, chives. The amount of herbs and / or flavors used in the preparations according to the first aspect of the invention is minimum 0% and maximum 15%.

The liquid preparation may contain fibers. These can be selected (as a combination) from the following non-exhaustive list: oligofructose, inullne, fructooligosaccharides, psyllium fibers, pectin, gums, mucilages, polysaccharides from algae and algae, galactooligosaccharides, arabinoxylanoligosaccharides, indigestible starch.

The protein content of the liquid preparation according to the first aspect of the present invention is at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, such as for example at least 18%. Typically, the protein content of the liquid preparation is no more than 35%, such as no more than 30% or no more than 25% or no more than 22%.

The liquid preparations according to the first aspect of the present invention typically contain less than 10% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae, such as, for example, less than 5% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae or less than 2% ( w / w) lyophilized material from edible insect larvae. Preferably, the proportion of edible insect larvae lyophilized material in the preparation of the present invention is less than 1% (w / w). Preferably, the lyophilized material of edible insect larvae is absent in the preparation of the present invention.

A second aspect of the invention relates to the use of the liquid preparation of the first aspect for the preparation of insect-based food products in which this liquid preparation is coagulated. This coagulation is preferably done by heating.

In a first embodiment of the second aspect of this invention, the coagulation of said liquid preparation takes place by baking this preparation on a flat plate (baking plate) with frequent stirring to form a granular preparation with the prevention of a loaf of minced meat. (from chickens, turkeys, pigs, calves or cattle) in which the grains of the granular preparation have a grain size (expressed in volume, mm3, of the grains) varying between 85 mm3 and 850 mm3. The grain size of the granular preparation according to the first embodiment of the second aspect of this invention is at least 85, preferably at least 160, such as for example at least 280, or at least 450. Furthermore, preferably the grain size is no more than 3000, preferably no more 2500, such as, for example, no more than 2000, no more than 1600, no more than 1200, no more than 1000 or no more than 850.

The moisture content of the granular preparation obtained according to the present invention is at least 50%, preferably at least 55%, such as for example at least 60%, at least 65%, or at least 70%. Preferably, the moisture content of the obtained granular preparation is no more than 85%, such as no more than 80% or no more than 75%.

The protein content of the granular preparation according to the present invention is at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, such as for example at least 18%. Typically, the protein content of the obtained granular preparation is no more than 35%, such as no more than 30% or no more than 25% or no more than 22%.

The granular preparations obtained according to the present invention contain less than 10% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae, such as for example less than 5% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae or less than 2% (w / w) lyophilized material from edible insect larvae. Preferably, the proportion of edible insect larvae lyophilized material in the preparation of the present invention is less than 1% (w / w). Preferably, the lyophilized material of edible insect larvae is absent in the preparation of the present invention.

This granular preparation can then be used as a substitute for minced meat, in tomato-based preparations such as spaghetti sauce, lasagna and pizza, stuffing of pita bread and stuffing of vegetables such as bell pepper.

In a second embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the coagulation of the liquid preparation of the first aspect takes place by baking on a flat plate with minimal, preferably non-stirring, during the baking. In such a manner of baking the said liquid preparation, if the liquid preparation can run out thinly, typically a product is obtained with the occurrence of a pancake. Typically, the thickness of such pancake type preparations is no more than 10 mm, for example no more than 5 or 3 mm. Such pancake type preparations are preferably baked on both sides, e.g. by turning the pancake type product during baking. On the other hand, in such a manner of baking, when the outflow of said liquid preparation is restricted, for example by using an open baking form, such as a baking ring, a product can be obtained with the prevention of a hamburger. Typically, the thickness of such a hamburger type of preparation is between 1 cm and 8 cm, for example between 2 cm and 6 cm. Such hamburger type preparations are preferably baked on both sides, e.g. by turning the hamburger during baking.

In a third embodiment of the second aspect of this invention, the coagulation of the liquid preparation of the first aspect is effected by heating in a baking pan in an oven to form a meat loaf-type food product.

In a fourth embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the coagulation of the liquid preparation of the first aspect is accomplished by boiling in a sealed casing to form a sausage-type food product.

The moisture content of the hamburger, pancake and cooking sausage type preparations obtained according to the present invention is at least 50%, preferably at least 55%, such as for example at least 60%, at least 65%, or at least 70%. Preferably, the moisture content of the hamburger, pancake and cooking sausage type preparations is no more than 85%, such as no more than 80% or no more than 75%.

The protein content of the hamburger, pancake and cooking sausage type preparations obtained according to the present invention is at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, such as for example at least 18%. Typically, the protein content of the obtained granular preparation is no more than 35%, such as no more than 30% or no more than 25% or no more than 22%.

The hamburger, pancake and cooking sausage type preparations obtained according to the present invention contain less than 10% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae, such as for example less than 5% (w / w) lyophilized material of edible insect larvae or less than 2% (w / w) lyophilized material from edible insect larvae. Preferably, the proportion of edible insect larvae lyophilized material in the preparation of the present invention is less than 1% (w / w). Preferably, the lyophilized material of edible insect larvae is absent in the preparation of the present invention.

A third aspect of this invention relates to a method for making a liquid preparation of edible insect larvae wherein edible insect larvae are ground. Binders are added to these milled edible insect larvae at a ratio of 1 to 30 grams of binder on a dry matter basis per 100 grams of killed homogenized edible insect larvae (wet weight).

According to the method of the present invention, the binders are typically selected from the following non-exhaustive list of binders: vegetable proteins, animal proteins and starch (e.g. potato starch, corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch) or a combination of the stated binders. Potato starch and / or egg protein have been found to be particularly suitable for making the said liquid preparation of the present invention. When egg protein is added as a binder, preferably dried egg protein is used which is previously dissolved in water. The egg protein is preferably dissolved by adding 10 parts of water to 1 part of egg protein powder, preferably maximum 9 parts of water, such as for example maximum 8 parts, maximum 7 parts, maximum 6 parts, maximum 5 parts or maximum 4 parts . Furthermore, the dried egg protein is dissolved in at least 2 parts of water, preferably at least 3 parts of water. Use is preferably made of a binder consisting of a combination of a starch, preferably potato starch, and a protein, preferably egg protein. The potato starch / egg protein ratio used can vary on a weight basis (dry weight) between 1/1 and 1/20, for example between 1/5 and 1/15 or between 1/8 and 1/12.

According to the method of the present invention, at least 5 g, preferably at least 7 g such as, at least 9 g, at least 11 g or at least 13 g binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight) is used. Furthermore, preferably no more than 30 g, for example no more than 25 g, such as no more than 20 g or no more than 18 g, or no more than 17 g or no more than 15 g of binder (dry matter) per 100 grams homogenized killed edible insect larvae (wet weight) added.

The method according to the present invention further comprises optionally adding herbs and / or flavorings. These can be selected (as a combination) from the following non-exhaustive list: salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, onions, ginger, coriander, garlic, chili, thyme, basil, oregano, mustard, marjoram, rosemary, cloves, cumin, parsley , cocoa, cinnamon, caraway, curcuma, celery spice. The amount of herbs and / or flavors used in the preparations according to the third aspect of the invention is minimum 0% and maximum 15%.

The insect larvae are preferably killed prior to milling. The insect larvae can be killed by heating such as blanching or steaming and / or by freezing. If the insect larvae are killed by steaming, then the insect larvae are steamed for a maximum of 10 minutes, preferably for a maximum of 8 minutes, such as for example a maximum of 6 minutes, a maximum of 5 minutes, a maximum of 4 minutes or a maximum of 3 minutes. If the insect larvae are killed by blanching, then the insect larvae are heated for a maximum of 5 minutes in boiling water, such as for example maximum 2 minutes, maximum 1 minute, maximum 40 seconds or maximum 20 seconds. The insect larvae can be killed by non-heat-based techniques such as by applying pulsating electric fields and / or applying electric shocks and / or applying high hydrostatic pressure. The killed edible insect larvae can be homogenized in various ways, for example with the help of blenders such as a microcutter and saucer cutter that can also be used in combination. For example, the killed edible insect larvae can first be coarsely ground with the saucer cutter and then finer with the microcutter.

Typically, 35 grams to 95 grams of water, including the water used to dissolve or dilute the binder, is mixed in per 100 grams of killed homogenized edible insect larvae.

The mixing of the ingredients described above can be done in a container. Typically, the mixing of the ingredients described above is performed using a mixing system such as a mixer or saucer cutter.

Typically, when carrying out the method of the present invention, the edible larvae are selected from the following species: morio worms (mori beetle larvae, Zophobas morio), mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae), small mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus larvae), wax motrups (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella), the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori). The edible insect larvae are ground, preferably after killing, with the aid of a microcutter and / or saucer cutter. Furthermore, a protein, preferably egg protein, and / or a starch, preferably potato starch, is added to the preparation as a binder. A quantity of herbs can be added that varies between 0% and 15%. All ingredients are mixed using a mixing system such as a saucer cutter.

In an additional embodiment of the method of the third aspect of the invention, the liquid preparation according to the first aspect of the invention is subsequently baked on a baking sheet, the temperature of the baking sheet being at most 120 ° C, preferably at most 110 ° C, such as for example maximum 105 ° C, maximum 100 ° C, maximum 95 ° C or maximum 90 ° C with frequent mixing and / or stirring of the mixture until it has the aspect of a loaf of minced meat.

In a specific embodiment of the method of the present invention, steam-edible edible insect larvae are started, then these edible edible insect larvae are homogenized in a saucer cutter (Type UM12A, Stephan) to a liquid mixture to which herbs and binder are added with continuous mixing; this liquid mixture is transferred, preferably by means of a pump system, to a stir-fry system such as Type cucimix 30 (Firex) for baking with continuous mixing.

In a second additional embodiment of the third aspect of the invention, the liquid preparation is heated by baking in an oven in a baking pan, to form a meat loaf-type food product.

In a third additional embodiment of the third aspect of the invention, the liquid preparation is placed in a sealed casing and then cooked, to form a cooking sausage type food product.

In a fourth additional embodiment of the third aspect of the invention, the liquid preparation is heated by baking on a flat baking tray or pan without stirring to form a pancake.

On an industrial scale, the insect larvae are killed by means of heating, for example by steaming in, for example, a screw steamer or a belt steamer, or by blanching in a sprinkler belt blancher, a screw blancher or a belt blancher. The killed insect larvae can be pumped, for example with the aid of a product pump, to a container where the killed insect larvae are ground by means of, for example, meat grinders. Herbs and / or flavorings and / or binders can be added during or after grinding. If the herbs and / or flavorings and / or binders are added after milling, an additional mixing step must be carried out. The resulting mixture is then baked with continuous stirring, for example in the Firex baking mixer, to form a granular preparation with the prevention of a meat mince. The resulting mixture can also be placed in an open baking pan and baked in an oven such as the Gernal cooking cabinet, to form a meat loaf type product. The resulting mixture can also be placed in a sealed casing such as an artificial casing and then cooked to form a sausage-type product. The resulting mixture can also be baked on a flat baking sheet to form a pancake or to form a hamburger if the resulting mixture is baked in a baking ring on the flat baking sheet or in a pan.

With the insight to better demonstrate the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of suitable binders is described below with reference to the examples and the accompanying figures as examples without any limiting character. These binders are selected for their effect to slurry an insect larvae homogenate or insect larvae into a wet solid food form or into a hierarchically structural wet food product according to physical processes of the invention. The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described by way of example and shown in the figures, but an additive for human and animal nutrition according to the invention can be realized in all shapes and sizes without departing from the scope of the invention.

A specific embodiment of the invention relates to the composition of a liquid premix comprising homogenized insect larvae with an (for humans and / or animals) edible hydrophilic colloidal protein, such as egg protein, ovomucine, ovoglobulin, ovalbumin, casein or gelatin (al / not in combination with potato starch, whether or not in combination with corn starch, or whether or not in combination with chickpea flour, or whether or not in combination with breadcrumbs). This specifically added protein binder can be in the form of a solution or a suspension. It can also be in an original powder form to be rehydrated. The protein solution or protein suspension can therefore start from a protein powder in origin.

These results also show that the composition of this premix of insect larvae slurry or insect larva homogenate with hydrophilic colloidal protein binder has the technical effect that the homogenized insect larvae, preferably mealworms, can be processed into an edible solid food product such as by physical interventions such as heat, pressure or friction. a pancake batter by frying or like a minced meat by frying with frequent stirring or even an edible hierarchical structural food product by friction (extrusion). Experimental research has shown that the following edible insect larvae can be borrowed for this purpose: mori worms (larvae of Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), the wax moth caterpillar (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella), the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori). Moreover, these results with alginate, arrowroot, buckwheat flour, rehydrated free-range protein, guar gum, locust bean gum, chickpea flour, corn starch, breadcrumbs, xanthan gum binders show that not all binders are equally suitable for a suitable physical transformation of homogenized insect larvae into an edible solid or an edible hierarch structural food product.

The present invention relates to a food composition. More specifically, the invention is intended for food and / or mammalian food compositions. It is known that a technical solution of processability of an edible product in a structural food product can produce a different mouthfeel and preference as a technical effect.

Food companies want to be able to successfully incorporate insect larvae into a food product for the consumer.

The disadvantage is that insect larvae in pure form do not just admit to this, except as insect pieces or pieces. But a homogeneous insect larvae product or larva paste is a challenge in which the composition and the additive yielded a very different technical result.

The present invention has for its object to provide a solution to at least one of the aforementioned and other disadvantages in that it provides a selected additive to a homogenized insect larvae mix or paste after physical processing, which yields the correct solid food product or hierarchical structural food product that the consumer is acceptable. An advantage of such a premix is that it can be supplied as an insect raw material in the form of a wet or rehydrated dry premix to a food processing plant for physical transformation into an edible solid wet or hierarchically structural wet food product without further chemical processing.

Preferably, the protein binder used is added during the physical process of transforming a dry premix or a wet homogenized slurry into a wet solid feed component or into a hierarchically structural wet food product. An advantage of using such a binder protein is that it is available on an industrial scale and can be incorporated into the processes to process a wet solid food component from a homogeneous insect larvae or the dried insect powder.

An advantage of using such a binder protein is that it allows to add spices, pepper, salt, onion powder and garlic powder to a homogeneous insect larvae or to the dried insect powder without this having a negative impact on the physical transformation of the homogeneous insect larvae in a wet solid food component.

An embodiment of the present invention also includes the industrial scalable methods of homogenizing insect larvae product by mixing the insect larvae and then forcing them through high holes through small holes. Extruders and hammer mills or the colloid mills (for the solid parts) are also useful for homogenizing the insect larvae mass. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the insect larvae mass is subjected to intensive homogenization, with pressures of up to 35,000 psi. A specific embodiment of the present invention is a premix of an insect larvae mass with hydrophilic colloidal protein, such as egg protein, ovomucine, ovoglobulin, ovalbumin, casein or gelatin and a Farrall index ranging between 5 and 7. A proven advantage of such homogenization processing is that there are no differences in taste or fat concentration in the final food product. The disadvantage is that homogenized insect larvae product is difficult to process into wet solid food products or in hierarchically structurally wet food products with an accepted organoleptic quality and in solid meat and / or fish replacement preparations and food products such as hamburgers, minced meat and sausage with a similar resemblance to the original meat or fish product. EXAMPLE 1

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) (1 kg) were killed by steaming in a steam cabinet (Climaplus combi CPC, Rational) at a set temperature of 100 ° C for 5 minutes. Subsequently, the killed insects were ground using a microcutter (rotating knife with apertures of 0.2 mm) (Microcutter 40L, Stephan) and / or a saucer cutter (Type UM12A, Stephan).

The different mixing conditions were: 1. 20 minutes mixing in saucer cutter 2. 25 minutes mixing in saucer cutter 3. 20 minutes mixing in saucer cutter and then by microcutter 4. 25 minutes mixing in saucer cutter and then by microcutter

The herbs, flavorings, potato starch and egg protein dissolved in water were added to the ground insects in the predetermined amounts. The following ingredients were added per 20 grams of ground insects: 2.6 grams of egg protein powder (Cocovite) dissolved in 10.4 grams of water; 0.2 grams of potato starch (Anco); 0.3 grams of salt (Jozo); 0.16 grams of white pepper (Topaz); 0.16 grams of freeze-dried onion (Carrefour), crushed in a mortar; 0.12 grams of nutmeg (Everyday) and 0.24 grams of paprika powder (Boni). The mixture of mealworms, herbs, potato starch and dissolved protein powder was homogenized in the dish cutter, resulting in the liquid preparation.

The liquid preparation was baked for 15 minutes using a Firex baking tray (Cucimix 30, Stephan) with the baking temperature set to 100 ° C at a stirring speed of approximately 12 rpm.

The taste of the 4 preparations was evaluated positively, but there was a preference with regard to mouthfeel for preparation 3 and 4.

The nutritional data of the insect mince thus prepared are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Nutritional data from mealworms and small mealworms, from the insect mince prepared as described in Example 1 (of mealworms) and in Example 2 (of small mealworms) and of beef / pork minced meat.

a Nowak V, Persijn D, Rittenschober O, Charrondiere UR, 2016, Food Chemistry; 193, 39-46. b Yi L, Lakemond CM, Sagis LM, Eisner-Schadler V, Van Huis A, Van Boekel MA, Food Chemistry 2013, 141: 33413348. c according to Nubel, S ** edition, 5d edition.

The small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus) (2 kg) were killed by heating in a Firex heating system Cucimix 30 (for 8 minutes at a bottom temperature of 130 ° C). The killed small mealworms were ground using a microcutter (rotating knife with apertures of 0.2 mm) (Microcutter 40L, Stephan) and / or a saucer cutter (Type UM12A, Stephan).

The different mixing conditions were: 1. 10 minutes mixing in saucer cutter 2. 15 minutes mixing in saucer cutter 3. 15 minutes mixing in saucer cutter and then in microcutter 4. Mixing in the microcutter for a maximum of 1 minute

The herbs, breadcrumbs and protein powder dissolved in water were added to the ground insects in the predetermined amounts. The following ingredients were added per 20 grams of ground insects: 2.6 grams of egg protein powder (Cocovite) dissolved in 10.4 grams of water; 0.2 grams of potato starch (Anco); 0.3 grams of salt (Jozo); 0.16 grams of white pepper (Topaz); 0.16 grams of freeze-dried onion (Carrefour), crushed in a mortar; 0.12 grams of nutmeg (Everyday) and 0.24 grams of paprika powder (Boni). The mixture of the small mealworms, herbs and protein powder was homogenized in the saucer cutter before baking.

The mixture (0.5 kg) was baked for 9 minutes using a Firex baking tray (Cucimix 30, Stephan) with the baking temperature set to 125 ° C at a stirring speed of about 12 revolutions / minute (with the first 20 to 30 was not stirred for several seconds and then stirred continuously).

The taste of the 4 preparations was evaluated positively, but there was a preference with regard to mouthfeel for preparation 3 and 4.

The nutritional data of the minced meat thus prepared is shown in Table 1.

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were blanched for 20 seconds. After the blanching step, the insects were cooled in cold tap water for 1 minute. After a 5-minute grinding, a mixture was obtained to which the herbs and flavorings were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1.0 gram of potato starch, 1.5 gram of salt, 0.8 gram of white pepper, 0.8 gram of freeze-dried onion, 0.6 gram of nutmeg, 1.2 gram of paprika and 13 gram of egg protein powder were dissolved in 52.0 grams of water added, resulting in a liquid preparation.

This liquid preparation lends itself well to making a pancake. A pancake was very easily obtained by spreading the batter thinly in a pan and frying with peanut oil without stirring with a fork. If the bottom was nicely browned, the pancake was turned over, after which the top was also baked. The baked pancake was soft and could also be rolled up. EXAMPLE 4

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were blanched for 20 seconds. After the blanching step, the insects were cooled in cold tap water for 1 minute. After a 5-minute grinding, a mixture was obtained to which the herbs and flavorings were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1.0 gram of potato starch, 1.5 gram of salt, 0.8 gram of white pepper, 0.8 gram of freeze-dried onion, 0.6 gram of nutmeg, 1.2 gram of paprika and 13 gram of egg protein powder were dissolved in 52.0 grams of water added, resulting in a liquid preparation.

Burgers were obtained by using baking rings. A portion of peanut oil was applied for this in a hot pan, after which the liquid preparation was applied in a baking ring on a flat plate and then baked on a small fire. If the bottom was baked, the rings were removed and the hamburgers were turned over, so that the top was also baked.

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were blanched for 20 seconds. After the blanching step, the insects were cooled in cold tap water for 1 minute. After a 5-minute grinding, a mixture was obtained to which the herbs and flavorings were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1.0 gram of potato starch, 1.5 gram of salt, 0.8 gram of white pepper, 0.8 gram of freeze-dried onion, 0.6 gram of nutmeg, 1.2 gram of paprika and 13 gram of egg protein powder were dissolved in 52.0 grams of water added, resulting in a liquid preparation. 100 grams of the liquid preparation were applied in a silicone form and baked for 14 minutes in a preheated hot air oven at 180 ° C. The texture was very fine. The baked meat loaf-type food product could be cut perfectly into thin or thicker slices. EXAMPLE 6

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were blanched for 20 seconds. After the blanching step, the insects were cooled in cold tap water for 1 minute. After a 5-minute grinding, a mixture was obtained to which the herbs and flavorings were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1.0 gram of potato starch, 1.5 gram of salt, 0.8 gram of white pepper, 0.8 gram of freeze-dried onion, 0.6 gram of nutmeg, 1.2 gram of paprika and 13 gram of egg protein powder were dissolved in 52.0 grams of water added, resulting in a liquid preparation. 164 grams of the liquid preparation is placed in boiling water in a boiling / freezer bag for 16 minutes. The product obtained (sausage-type food product) had a very fine texture and had a pleasant taste. Slices can be cut from this product. EXAMPLE 7

The mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were steamed for 5 minutes. After the blanching step, the insects were cooled in cold tap water for 1 minute,

After a 5-minute grinding, a mixture was obtained to which the herbs were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1.0 gram of potato starch, 1.5 gram of salt, 1.2 gram of white pepper, 0.8 gram of freeze-dried onion, 0.6 gram of nutmeg, 1.2 gram of paprika and 13 gram of egg protein powder were dissolved in 91.0 grams of water added, resulting in a liquid preparation. This liquid preparation was baked for 2 minutes with continuous mixing to form a granular preparation with the loaf minced meat aspect. 40 grams of this granular preparation was placed in a plastic bag (PA / EVOH / PA / PE, 10 cm x 26 cm, thickness 80 µm, Euralpack) and stored under 60% CO2 and 40% N2. The ratio between the volume of the gas and the volume of the product was 2: 1. The rates of gas permeability of the bags were <2.7, <6.5 and <0.21 cm3 / m2.day.atm at 23 ° C and 0% relative humidity for O2, CO2 and N2 respectively. The rate of water vapor permeability was <1.8 g / m2.day at 23 ° C. The granular preparation was packaged using a vacuum chamber packaging machine (C200, Multivac). Vacuum compensation was used to move the air in the plastic bags. The packaged samples were stored in a Miele refrigerator (set at 4 ° C). Total aerobic bacterial count and aerobic bacterial spores were determined according to the ISO standards for microbial analyzes of food products (Dijk et al., 2007). From each plastic bag, a sample of 10 grams was aseptically placed in a sterile stomacher bag, to which 90 ml of a sterile physiological saline solution was added. The mixture was then mixed for 90 seconds. To determine the total aerobic bacterial count, a 10-fold dilution series was plated on PCA agar plates and incubated for 72 hours at 22 ° C. Determination of the bacterial spores was done by giving the 10-1 dilution a heat treatment (10 minutes at 80 ° C) and then plating on PCA and incubating for 24 hours at 30 ° C. The results are shown as log cfu / g in Table 2.

The results in Table 2 indicate that the granular preparation with the loaf minced meat aspect can be stored under 60% CO2 and 40% N2 for 35 days at 4 ° C. The total aerobic bacterial count and the amount of aerobic spores remained below the value of log 7 cfu / g on 35 days used to consider food products contaminated (4.1 ± 3.1 and 0.8 ± 0.6 respectively).

Table 2. Germ numbers (log cfu / g) during cold storage of the granular preparation of mealworms, stored under 60% CO2 and 40% IM2.

Results are the averages of 3 repetitions ± standard deviation; * At least 1 sample showed a value below the detection limit (1.0 log cfii / g). To calculate the mean and standard deviation, a value of 0.5 log cfu / g was used for those samples with a microbiol load below the detection limit; A, b. c Averages with the same superscript within the same row do not differ significantly (p> 0.05) Λ. B, C Averages with the same superscript within the same column do not differ significantly (p> 0.05) EXAMPLE 8

Pre-treatment of mealworms. Living mealworms suitable for human consumption were killed for longer storage by blanching them for two minutes. They were then divided into five hundred gram portions and frozen at -18 ° C. A 500 g portion was thawed at the start of each experiment. The mealworms were homogenized with a hand blender for 5 minutes. The ground mealworms were further subdivided into 50 g portions. On these smaller portions, the studies were then carried out into the suitable binders and the impact of other additives such as herbs, herbs and any other ingredients. The binders that were tested are arrowroot (Vajra), buckwheat flour (Vajra), breadcrumbs (Everyday, Colruyt Group), corn starch (Mare Payot, Colruyt Group), carob kernel flour (Nutricia), chickpea flour (Markal), rehydrated chicken protein, alginate powder in combination with CaSO 4, guar gum (CERTA nv) and xanthan gum (ABC Chemicals). Rehydrated protein was obtained by dissolving protein powder (Cocovite - per 100 g 1600 kj, 368 kcal,> 78 g protein, <0.1 g carbohydrates and 38 g fat) in an amount of water.

Preparation of minced meat. A first step in the preparation was the weighing of 50 g of ground mealworms and the weighing of a quantity of binder. Weighing was done with a balance (Acculab Atilon ATL-2202-1, Sartorius Group) that weighs accurately to two decimal places. For scoop bread kernel flour, use was made of the measuring spoon included in the package. One level measuring scoop is equal to 1.7 g. These two components were then mixed well to form a homogeneous mass. The second step was heating the whole in boiling or hot water for 2 to 5 minutes. While heating, the water was stirred with a fork to ensure that small pieces were formed instead of one large piece. After the elapsed time, the pieces were removed from the water with a skimmer and placed on a plate to allow the excess moisture to drip out. The fourth and final step was frying in the pan. A dash of olive oil was added to a pan with a non-stick coating and heated. When the olive oil was warm, the pieces of minced meat were added for frying. Depending on the binder used, the minced meat was baked for 5 to 10 minutes. After this, the minced meat was placed on a plate, tasted and assessed.

The parameters that were assessed and the criteria that were used for this can be found in Table 3. The parameters were set by the investigator and reflect the properties that were assessed during the investigation of suitable binders. The criteria that have been drawn up meet the expectations when a piece of meat is tasted. These parameters and criteria have been translated into scores. Each score corresponds to a description (Table 4). These descriptions are based on the observations of the researcher. The results are processed based on these scores.

Table 3: Parameters and criteria used for the evaluation of the binders.

Table 4: Scores with accompanying description

Table 5: Weighted amounts of binders and combinations of binders (the different weighted amounts are separated by a "/", when 2 binders are used in combination, the weighted amounts are noted in the order in which they are written in the first column).

Research into suitable moisture content. After grinding the mealworms a kind of porridge is obtained. In the research into the binders, an attempt was made to give the minced meat the best possible consistency and moisture content. During the research into the binders and the moisture content, it was determined that a dirty mouthfeel was an avoidable effect that could be avoided by turning the milled meal worms through a stirring sieve. The membranes cause an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. The membranes that come from the chitin in the exoskeleton that contain mealworms provide the unpleasant mouthfeel. After chewing, these membranes stick between the teeth and stick in the mouth. For example, the amount of fleece was considerably reduced when the ground mealworms were rotated through a stirring sieve for about 20 minutes. This time can be more or less depending on the amount of mealworms. In the example in question, portions of 500 g of mealworms were used. The use of the stirring sieve was a time-consuming operation. Homogenization of insect larvae mass by hammer mills or colloid mills (for the solid parts) and very intensive homogenization, up to 35,000 psi can prevent the problem with membranes. An insect larvae with a Farrall index varying between 5 and 7 no longer gives a non-irritating mouthfeel.

Research into suitable binders. The first step in the research was the search for suitable binders. Nine different binders were added separately to 50 g of freshly ground mealworms. Afterwards combinations were also made in which several binders were used to investigate whether this yielded a better result.

The results of the study with 1 binder added at a time were as follows (score: 1 = no cohesion, no binding; 2 = light binding but very flat, sauce; 3 = outside slightly crispy, inside sauce; 4 = outside crispy, still soft inside but no real sauce anymore; 5 = crispy outside, sticky in the mouth; 6 = crispy outside, slightly less sticky, a bit more dry; 7 = good consistency, no longer sticky in the mouth; 8 = too dry, floral) :

Rehydrated free-range protein in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: score 2 for 3 g / 50 g; score 4 for 6g / 50 g, score 5 for 9g / 50 g, score 5 for 16 g / 50 g and score 6 for 18 g / 50 g.

Chickpea protein in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: score 1 in 2 g / 50 g, score 4 in 4 g / 50 g, score 5 in 10 g / 50 g, score 5 in 13 g / 50 g. Locust bean gum in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: score 4 in 1 g / 50 g, score 5 in 2 g / 50 g and score 5 in 3 g / 50 g.

Breadcrumbs in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: score 3 in 6 g / 50 g, score 4 in 11 g / 50 g and score 5 in 15 g / 50 g.

Buckwheat flour in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: 3 in 1 g / 50 g, score 3 in 2 g / 50 g, score 4 in 5 g / 50 g and score 5 in 10 g / 50 g.

Arrowroot in g / 50 g homogenized mealworm gave the following scores: score 2 in 3 g / 50 g, score 3 in 4 g / 50 g; score 5 in 5 g / 50 g and score 5 in 8 g / 50 g.

The addition of rehydrated free-range protein gave the best results. The pieces became less tender and got a better consistency as more was added. The highest amount of rehydrated free-range protein added is 18 g. The choice to stop here and not to add higher amounts is based on the observations. The difference with 9 g and 18 g was not large. The results with chickpea flour were disappointing. With small amounts, good binding was not immediately obtained and the product remained wet inside. Based on the observations, the steps in which the quantities were increased were increased. With 10 g and 13 g of chickpea flour in combination with 50 g of mealworm paste, the whole became a bit less mushy inside, but the taste of the chickpea flour began to dominate. The floral taste is rather experienced as negative. A third binder that was included in the study is locust bean gum. The pieces were all still fairly soft inside. To make the pieces a little drier and less soft, they were baked in the pan with olive oil. Each time there was not much difference with before baking. The pieces remained fairly soft inside and did not have the desired result of a firm whole that resembles a minced vegetarian. The addition of more carob kernel flour did not make much difference. This study also investigated whether breadcrumbs give a better binding to the mealworm paste so that a solid product such as minced meat is obtained with it. In the beginning the same problem arose as with the previous binders. Inside, the pieces of minced meat remained too tender. Even at the end, they were still quite tender on the inside and the minced meat sticks to the mouth, which is not a pleasant feeling. The taste of the breadcrumbs began to express itself more and more. With 15 g of bread crumbs, the taste of bread was strongly present. However, the aim is to develop a mealworm mince and not a minced meat. If more breadcrumbs were added, the taste of the mealworms would be pushed all the way to the background and it would look more like bread. That is why the quantity was no longer increased. When researching whether buckwheat flour could be a good binder for the mealworm mince, the method was first used as with the other binders. This test showed that when the mixture of the ground mealworms with the buckwheat flour is first heated in boiling water, it falls apart completely. For this reason, this step was not applied in the following tests with buckwheat flour and the whole was immediately baked in the pan after mixing. The result after baking was not what was expected. The pieces remained fairly soft or even mushy inside. A small crispy layer was formed, but this was only the outer layer. From the observations it was deduced that the added amounts could be increased by larger steps. By adding more buckwheat flour, there was a slight improvement, but it remained sticky. The content did not seem to be cooked. Buckwheat flour is also a type of flour, which means that adding large quantities may result in a taste of the whole. Buckwheat flour is suitable for making all kinds of pastries, but this is less suitable for minced meat.

With small quantities of arrowroot everything fell apart during heating. Small pieces were formed from a quantity of 4 grams. The moisture came out of the pieces during baking. However, the result after baking remained disappointing. The pieces felt rather slimy and sticky. The more arrowroot was used, the slimmer it became. This gave an unpleasant mouthfeel and is not desirable with this product. Adding more arrowroot powder to get a better binding was therefore not an option.

The addition of xanthan gum with salt did not give good results. At low amounts, little binding was present. The whole thing fell apart. Systematically the amount of xanthan gum and the amount of salt were increased, but the effect reached a ceiling here. The pieces were crispy on the outside but inside they were still very soft. The amount of xanthan gum that is normally used in the food industry (0.05 to 0.2%) has long been exceeded here. The addition of xanthan gum and salt alone is therefore not sufficient to obtain a good bond.

The addition of guar gum also had little effect. In the beginning there was no binding at all and at 0.3 g there was only a slight improvement. Normally only concentrations of 0.3% are used. These were already exceeded here. Adding guar gum alone does not give the desired result.

A final binder that was investigated is alginate in combination with CaSO 4. At the lowest concentrations of 0.25% and 0.50% alginate, binding remained absent. With increasing concentrations, the binding did improve systematically. Therefore, when the amount of CaSO 4 was increased, the moisture content improved slightly but the sticky feeling in the mouth remained. Alginate was not such a good choice for minced mealworms.

When the binders were added separately, protein powder came out as the best. Combinations of rehydrated free-range protein with other binders were also tried.

For example, the combination of rehydrated free-range protein with chickpea flour was tried. Both the amount of rehydrated free-range protein and the amount of chickpea flour were systematically increased. The best results were obtained with 16 g and 20 g of rehydrated free-range protein with 8 g of chickpea flour (Markal - per 100 g: Protein 18.6, Koolh 44.3, Fat 5.9 and Fiber 15.5). The chickpea flour gave the product a certain, floral taste that was too strong. At lower concentrations the taste was less present but then the minced meat was still sticky in the mouth, which is also not desirable. This combination is therefore less suitable for groundworm mince. With the combination of breadcrumbs and rehydrated free-range protein, less breadcrumbs must be added to achieve a good result. An optimum result was obtained with 11 g of rehydrated free-range protein and 6 g to 8 g of breadcrumbs.

Since corn starch is gluten-free but has the same application as breadcrumbs containing gluten, the combination of protein powder with corn starch was also investigated. With 6 g of corn starch and 11 g of rehydrated free-range protein, the result was slightly more moist inside than with the corresponding amount of breadcrumbs. The best result was achieved here with 8 g of corn starch and 11 g of rehydrated free-range protein. This combination is a good combination.

Another combination that has been investigated is rehydrated free-range protein in combination with chickpea flour and breadcrumbs. However, the chickpea flour tasted too strong. By adding breadcrumbs, the taste of the chickpea flour was slightly masked, but it was still present. The floral taste is not as pleasant in the mouth. This combination therefore also appears to be less suitable for making the mealworm mince appreciated by consumers.

Xanthan gum is a binder that is often used in combination with guar gum or locust bean gum. These combinations would work synergistically. Both combinations turned out not to have much more effect after the tests compared to the binders separately. The whole remained very soft and moist inside.

Many different binders were tested for binding. These results show that the combinations of rehydrated free-range protein with breadcrumbs and corn starch as a binder in a homogenized wet insect larvae matrix or in a dry finely ground or dry powdery insect larvae matrix form a good binding agent for the transformation under physical treatment into a wet solid food product or into a wet solid food product. hierarchical structural wet food product. Binders such as alginate, guar gum and xanthan gum were less positive from this study.

Various herbs were also tested for the season. The results also show that the mechanical removal of membranes from the insect larvae slurry or from the insect larvae homogenate eg through a stirring sieve improves the wet solid food product eg the insect mince. EXAMPLE 9

A specific embodiment of the invention relates to the composition of a liquid premix preparation comprising homogenized insect larvae and an edible protein solution or suspension, optionally starting from a protein powder such as egg protein (optionally in combination with potato starch, in combination with corn starch, or in combination with chickpea flour, or in combination with breadcrumbs) specifically added binder. Starting from a homogenized insect larvae mass or insect larvae powder, it is a challenge to find a suitable composition for further physical transformation of these homogenized insect larvae into an edible solid or edible hierarchical structural food product with an acceptable structural quality and organoleptic quality. Various compositions were tested for structure quality and organoleptic quality as previously described after various methods of preparation. Still other parameters were investigated. For example, it was checked whether blanching is as good a method of killing as the original steam step and has an influence on the taste and texture of the end product (minced meat). In addition, the influence of freezing the killed insects on the taste and texture of the minced meat was determined. Furthermore, the protein powder / water ratio was varied and the influence of this variation on texture was investigated. Furthermore, all prepared minced meat were frozen and reheated, whether or not in tomato sauce, to check whether the texture and taste were retained.

Influence of preparation method on minced meat. In a first step, the living insects (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) were killed. To obtain an end product with a good mouthfeel and therefore a complete absence of membranes, a good mix / blix step is essential. For this reason, a 5-minute blixing step was performed in the procedure. After grinding, the correct amounts of herbs were added. Per 100 grams of ground mealworms, 1 g of potato starch (Anco); 1.5 g of salt (Jozo); 0.8 g of white pepper (Everyday); 0.8 g freeze-dried onion (Carrefour); 0.6 g nutmeg (Everyday) and 1.2 g paprika powder (Everyday) added. Each time 2.6 grams of protein powder (Cocovite) dissolved in water was also added to obtain the desired end product. After adding the herbs and the protein mixture, everything was baked with a little (5 - 6 g) peanut oil (Vandemoortele) as a fat. The liquid raw minced meat thickness during the baking step and by stirring during baking a minced meat texture was obtained. The size of the minced grain could be adjusted by stirring more intensively or less intensively during the baking process.

The mealworm meal. As mentioned earlier, 2 methods of killing were investigated. On the one hand, fresh (live) mealworms were steamed for 5 minutes. On the other hand, some of the fresh mealworms were blanched for 20 seconds. The insects were killed almost immediately during the blanching step. Weight gain was limited in both steaming and blanching. The initial weight of both conditions tested was 125 grams and after both killing steps the weight had increased to 140 grams. There was a slight difference visually. The blanched mealworms had retained a nicer, more intensive color after killing than the steamed mealworms. The method of killing did not affect the taste or texture of the newly prepared minced meat.

Freezing the killed mealworms. In addition, a second question related to the influence on the taste or texture of the minced meat after freezing the killed insects before they were processed. Therefore, 1 sample of insects was frozen after one of the two killing methods and stored at -18 ° C for 24 hours before further processing. An interim freezing step was investigated because frozen insects can be transported more easily and at the same time longer storage is guaranteed. After preparing the minced meat, the extra freezing step was found to have no influence on the taste or texture of the newly prepared minced meat. There appeared to be no difference between the minced meat prepared from fresh mealworms or previously frozen mealworms.

Variation ratio protein powder / water. The last parameter that was varied was the amount of water added to the protein powder. In the original recipe, 7 parts of water were added to 1 part of protein powder. But because this gave a minced meat with a fine grain and relatively soft texture, the amount of water added varied. For example, in addition to the condition of 1 part protein powder and 7 parts water, the following ratios were tested: 1/5, 1/4 and 1/3. The different test conditions showed that the less water was added to the protein powder, the stronger the texture of minced meat. The best result and a texture comparable to minced meat was obtained in the ratios 1/5 and 1/4.

Impact of freezing minced meat. All prepared minced meat were frozen at -18 ° C for 96 hours and then thawed and warmed up. The taste and texture of the minced meat were then tested again by tasting. This showed that freezing after preparation and reheating did not adversely affect the texture or taste of all minced meat prepared. The texture was retained nicely under all different conditions. The minced meat with a protein ratio of 1/7 had the softest texture and fell apart very quickly in the mouth. This was found to be too soft. The taste tests also showed that the minced meat with a steaming step had a softer texture than the minced meat with a blanching step. This difference was larger than in the newly prepared minced meat.

Addition of minced meat to commercially available spaghetti sauce

In addition, the minced meat was also added to a commercially available spaghetti sauce (prepared without meat). Particularly the minced meat with a protein ratio of 1/5, 1/4 and 1/3 retained their texture in the tomato sauce just after the addition. Tomato sauce was added to all minced meat and stored in a refrigerator for 24 hours to verify texture retention. This showed that the texture of most of the minced meat was nicely preserved. As mentioned earlier, the texture of the minced meat with a protein dilution of 1/7 was the softest and also fell apart the fastest in the tomato sauce after storage. Also the minced meat from which the mealworms were first steamed and then frozen for 24 hours before the preparation had a less good preservation of the texture. There was even some moisture from the minced meat in the sauce. The best results were obtained with minced meat made with a blanching step and a protein ratio of 1/3; 1/4 and 1/5.

It was found experimentally that no differences in taste and texture were noticed between minced meat with a different killing step. After reheating the frozen minced meat, the texture is retained well. It was found experimentally that even after adding a tomato sauce, all minced meat retain their texture and taste, even after 24 hours' storage in the refrigerator. But the minced meat with a more firm texture (protein ratio of 1/3 and 1/4) are preferred in the taste tests with spaghetti sauce and best keep their structure in the sauce. EXAMPLE 10

Chopped color measurements. The color measurements were carried out on mealworm-based minced meat samples and on the cooked sausage made from mealworm paste. Free-fried mixed minced meat (75% pork / 15% beef) was used as a reference and a classic meat loaf of 0.5 cm thickness from the fresh bar of the Alma (Carrefour, Geel). The color measurements were performed with a spectrophotometer (Konica Minolta CR-5, Japan). 35-40 g of the minced meat was placed in a petri dish and pushed with the lid so that as few light holes as possible were present. A round disc of ± 5 cm diameter and 0.5 cm thickness of the cooked sausage and meat loaf was placed on the petri dish for the measurement. The measurement was made with the measuring opening of 30 mm and with the aid of a petri dish that was also calibrated. The specular component was not taken into account (SCE = specular component excluded). This means that the specular reflection is not measured but only the diffuse reflection. This method provides a color evaluation that is closest to that of the observer.

The measurements were made in triplicate. Based on the L *, a * and b * values, a tanning index (B1) and saturation (C *) could be calculated.

For all parameters (L *, a *, b *, BI and C *), a difference value with respect to the reference was also calculated. A color difference can also be included in a parameter namely ΔΕ *.

The average values of the color measurements are shown in Table 6. The browning index of the mealworm-based products is always much higher than that of the traditional minced meat products. There is only a minimal difference in saturation (C *) of the color.

Table 6: Average values ± Standard deviation of L *, a *, b *, BI and C *

Table 7 shows the average color differences of the mealworm products compared to traditional minced meat products. The mealworm mince and the cooking sausage are both darker than the traditional minced meat. The L * value is smaller. The color of the mealworm mince also contains more red and a little less yellow than the color of the traditional minced meat. For the sausage compared to the meat loaf, the opposite is true. The color of the sausage is darker but contains less red and more yellow than the color of the meat loaf. The tanning index of both products is higher than that of the traditional minced products. This means that the products based on mealworms have a stronger brown color than the traditional minced products. The difference in tanning index is of the order of magnitude that a visible difference can also be observed. That difference cannot only be due to the composition but also to the method of preparation. Depending on how long the minced meat is baked, the color may be browner or less brown. In meatloaf there is also a wide range of color because the composition of the meat may differ but also the method of preparation (baking / cooking time, method of preparation, ...) may differ.

Table 7: Average color differences from traditional minced meat and meat loaf

It was therefore established experimentally that products with mealworm paste differ in color with traditional minced meat products. The color of the mealworm-based products is browner and darker. Depending on the type of product, there is more or less red and more or less yellow in the color compared to the color of traditional products. But the color differences are not perceived as disturbing and do not stand in the way of the clear similarity with traditional minced meat or meatloaf. LEGEND TO THE FIGURES:

Figure 1: Shows the combinations of rehydrated protein powder with other binders (Score: 1 = nothing cohesion, no binding; 2 = light binding but very flat, sauce; 3 = outside slightly crispy, inside sauce; 4 = outside crispy, still soft inside but no real sauce anymore; 5 = crispy outside, sticky in the mouth; 6 = crispy outside, slightly less sticky, a bit more dry; 7 = good consistency, no longer sticky in the mouth; 8 = too dry, floral) . The amount of added binder is shown in Figure 1A, 1B and IC in the form 'x + y'. Figure 1D shows the amount of added binder in the form 'x + y + z'. In the preparations, first the binder 'x' is added first and then the binder 'y') (and in Figure 1D as the last binder 'z').

Figure 1A. x = protein powder and y = chickpea flour;

Figure 1B. x = protein powder and y = breadcrumbs;

Figure IC. x = protein powder and y = corn starch

Figure 1D. x = protein powder, y = chickpea flour and z = breadcrumbs.

Claims (29)

Adapted conclusions for BE2017 / 00044 Clean version A meat substitute preparation, with a moisture content between 50% (w / w) and 75% (w / w) comprising homogenized edible insect larvae, free of chitin membranes, in a concentration of at least 30% (w / w) and an added contains a hydrophilic colloidal protein binder, the preparation containing 1 to 25 grams of added binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized edible insect larvae (wet weight),. The preparation of claim 1 wherein the 50% binder contains a hydrophilic colloidal protein. The preparation of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hydrophilic colloidal protein is selected from the group consisting of an egg protein, a mucin, a globulin, an albumin, a casein or a gelatin or a mixture thereof. The preparation according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising starch. The preparation of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the homogenized edible insect larvae mass has a Farrall index ranging between 5 and 7. The preparation of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the edible larvae are selected from morio worms (larvae of Zophobas morio), mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), small mealworms (larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus), wax wax caterpillar (caterpillar of Galleria mellonella ), the caterpillar of the silk butterfly (Bombyx mori) and which make up 40% (w / w) to 99% (w / w) of the said preparation. The preparation of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein this preparation contains added herbs and / or flavors. The preparation of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein this preparation has a protein content between 10% (w / w) and 30% (w / w). The preparation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the binder consists of 11 grams of hydrated chicken egg protein and 6-8 grams of breadcrumbs per 50 grams of insects, or wherein the binder consists of 11 grams of hydrated chicken egg protein and 8 grams of corn starch per 50 grams of insects, or where the binder consists of 9-18 grams of hydrated chicken egg protein per 50 grams of insects. A dehydrated form of the preparation according to any of claims 1 to 9. The use of the preparation of any one of claims 1 to 9, or a dehydrated form thereof, for the preparation of insect-based meat substitute food products by heating. The use according to claim 11, wherein the insect-based food product is a granular preparation with the aspect of fried minced meat. The use according to claim 12, wherein the granules of the granular preparation have a size ranging between 85 mm 3 and 850 mm 3. The use according to claims 12 or 13, wherein the granular preparation with the aspect of fried minced meat is used as a substitute for minced meat, in matured preparations such as spaghetti sauce, lasagna and pizza, stuffing of pita bread and stuffing of vegetables such as bell pepper. The use of claim 11, wherein the insect-based food product is a meat loaf-type product. The use of the liquid preparation according to claim 11, wherein the insect-based food product is a sausage-type product. The use according to claim 11, wherein the insect-based food product is a hamburger-type product. A method for making an insect-based meat-replacing food product comprising the step of heating a preparation, having a moisture content between 50% (w / w) and 75% (w / w), comprising homogenized edible insect larvae, free of chitin membranes, in a concentration of at least 30%, and contains an added hydrophilic colloidal protein binder, the preparation containing 1 to 25 grams of added binder (dry matter) per 100 grams of homogenized edible insect larvae (wet weight). The method according to claim 18, wherein the preparation is obtained by adding water to a dehydrated composition. The method according to claims 18 or 19 wherein herbs and / or flavors are added to this liquid preparation. The method of any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the binder is egg protein The method according to any of claims 18 to 21, wherein the edible larvae are selected from the following species: morio worms (mori beetle larvae, Zophobas morio), mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae), small mealworms (Alphitobius diaperinus larvae) , the wax moth caterpillar (Galleria mellonella caterpillar), the silk butterfly caterpillar (Bombyx mori). The method according to any of claims 18 to 22 wherein, insect larvae, free from chitin membranes, are obtained using a microcutter and / or saucer cutter. The method according to any of claims 18 to 23, wherein the preparation further comprises potato starch or breadcrumbs. The method according to any of claims 18 to 24, wherein the preparation comprises 0-15% (w / w) spices and / or flavors. The method according to any of claims 18 to 25, wherein the preparation is heated by on a baking sheet at a temperature ranging between 90 ° C and 120 ° C with frequent mixing of the mixture until it has the aspect of a loaf minced meat. The method according to any of claims 18 to 26, wherein the preparation is heated by baking in an oven in a baking pan, to form a meat loaf-type food product. The method according to any of claims 18 to 27, wherein the preparation is placed in a sealed casing and subsequently heated by cooking to form a cooked sausage type food product. The method according to any of claims 18 to 28, wherein the liquid preparation is poured into an open baking form such as a baking ring, the whole being subsequently heated on a baking sheet or in a pan by baking, to form a hamburger-type food product .