Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as a meat replacer in a burger patty

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have shown potential as a functional and safe food ingredient. However, there are still limited studies demonstrating its application in food. The aim of this study was to determine whether BSFL could partially/fully replace beef in a burger patty. Five different treatments were investigated to determine which percentage of BSFL inclusion could compare to control beef patties in terms of nutrition, colour, pH, water activity, texture, and shelf-life stability (15-day, 4 degrees C). Treatments consisted of a beef patty (control) and four different BSFL treatments with partial/full replacement of beef with BSFL (25, 50, 75 and 100%). It was found that BSFL could not fully replace beef in a burger patty, as the 100% BSFL patty could not hold its structure upon forming or cooking. Partial replacement of beef with BSFL was found to be more successful, with only the raw 75% BSFL patties being significantly softer than the control (P<0.01). The control treatment was higher (P<0.01) in protein, fat (dry matter) and moisture than all the BSFL treatments. Texture profile analysis indicated that the treatments had little effect on hardness, gumminess, and springiness on the raw patties, however, the changes became evident upon cooking. While the BSFL patties had lower cooking losses than the control patty, they were darker in colour and had a softer texture (P<0.01). Overall, the 25% BSFL patty was the closest to the control patty, and further developments are recommended to improve the formulation to mimic a 100% beef patty more closely.